Photographic film conveying device

ABSTRACT

To achieve for a photographic film conveying device that no external force causing conveying speed to vary is applied to a photographic film during image reading, after a preceding photographic film is discharged from a reading conveying path, the time until a subsequent photographic film is conveyed to the reading conveying path is not long, or even if a photographic film set in a film supplying section is elongate, image reading of photographic films by an image reading section can be carried out efficiently, there is provided a photographic film conveying device comprising a section setting a discharge conveying section in a withdrawn state or a conveying state, a section controlling conveying of preceding and subsequent photographic films, or a section switching a conveying path of a photographic film.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to photographic film conveying devicewhich, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic film on which imagesare recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an imagereading means such as a scanner or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are digital image processing devices for photographic films which,while conveying a photosensitive material, on which images are recorded,at a predetermined reading speed, read the images of the photographicfilm by a line scanner which is a CCD line sensor or the like, and usethe image data obtained by this reading to record the images onto arecording material or display the images on a display or the like. Insuch a digital image processing device, for example, prescanning, inwhich the images of the photographic film are read at a relatively roughresolution by the line scanner, is carried out while the photographicfilm is conveyed in one direction along a conveying path by conveyingroller pairs. After the image sizes and the dynamic ranges and the likeof the images recorded on the photographic film have been confirmed, theconveying direction of the photographic film by the conveying rollerpairs is reversed. While the photographic film is being conveyed in thisopposite direction, fine scanning is carried out in which, on the basisof the data obtained by prescanning, the images of the photographic filmare read at a high resolution.

There are digital image processing devices in which a film receivingsection, which receives the photographic film after reading (finescanning) has been completed, is connected to the final end portion ofthe conveying path of the photographic film. In such a film receivingportion are disposed, for example, a discharge roller pair which isformed of a driving roller and a driven roller, and a roller drivingsection which transmits torque to the driving roller of the dischargeroller pair so as to rotate the driving roller in a predetermineddirection. Here, when one end portion of the photographic film isdischarged from the final end portion of the conveying path, the drivingroller of the discharge roller pair is rotated by the torque from theroller driving section while the photographic film is nipped by a nipportion of the discharge roller pair. In this way, the photographic filmis pulled into the film receiving section from the film feed-out pathdue to the conveying force from the discharge roller pair. When theother end portion of the photographic film separates from the nipportion of the discharge roller pair toward the downstream side thereof,the discharging of the photographic film into the film receiving sectionis completed.

However, in the above-described digital image processing device, whilethe photographic film is conveyed at a constant reading speed along theconveying path, fine scanning is carried out in which the images of thephotographic film are read by a line scanner at a high resolution. Atthis time of fine scanning, when the end portion of the photographicfilm reaches the discharge roller pair of the film receiving section,the conveying speed of the photographic film at the image readingposition by the line scanner fluctuates.

Namely, even if the driving roller of the discharge roller pair rotatesat a rotating speed which corresponds to the reading speed, a resistanceto conveying is applied, even if for an extremely short time, to thephotographic film when the photographic film abuts the nip portion ofthe discharge roller pair. This resistance to conveying is transferredto the conveying roller pair through the photographic film, and causes achange in the rotating speed of the conveying roller pair. Further,after the photographic film is nipped by the nip portion of thedischarge roller pair and conveying is started, it is difficult to makethe conveying speed of the photographic film by the discharge rollerpair exactly match the reading speed. Thus, an increase in tension orslack is generated at the portion of the photographic film between thedischarge roller pair and the conveying roller pair. This increase intension or slack of the photographic film causes a change in load of theconveying roller pair, and a change in the rotational speed is caused.

Such a change in the conveying speed of the photographic film at thereading position is a cause of deterioration in the accuracy of readingthe image by the line scanner, and for example, is a cause of defects inimage quality such as jitters in the image which is reproduced by theimage information obtained by fine scanning.

Moreover, in a case in which the conveying speed of the photographicfilm by the discharge roller pair is faster than the reading speed whichis the speed of conveying the photographic film by the conveying rollerpair, when the photographic film is in a state of being conveyed by boththe conveying roller pair and the discharge roller pair, the tension atthe photographic film increases as time passes, and there is the concernthat the photographic film may be damaged by this tension.

Further, there are digital image processing devices in which a filmsupplying section is connected to one end portion of the readingconveying path. Such a film supplying section is provided with, forexample, a film holder in which is set a film bundle in which aplurality of photographic films are stacked together; a feed rollerwhich separates one photographic film from the film bundle set in thefilm holder, and feeds this photographic film to a film supply pathconnected to the reading conveying path; and a conveying roller pairwhich conveys the photographic film along the film supply path to thereading conveying path. In such a digital image processing device, onephotographic film is separated, by the feed roller, from the topmostportion or the bottommost portion of the film bundle set in the filmholder, and is conveyed to the reading conveying path along the filmsupply path.

In a conventional digital image processing device such as that describedabove, after fine scanning of one photographic film is completed andthat photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path,the next photographic film is fed into the film supply path by the feedroller by the film supplying section, and the photographic film isconveyed to the reading conveying path along the film supply path. As aresult, a period of time, which corresponds to the path length of thefilm supply path in the film supplying section and to the film conveyingspeed, is required from the time after the preceding photographic filmhas been discharged from the reading conveying path until the time thenext photographic film is supplied to the reading conveying path.Accordingly, in a case in which the film supply path is long, the periodof time from the time the preceding photographic film is discharged fromthe reading conveying path to the time when the next photographic filmis conveyed to the reading conveying path (i.e., the replacement time)is long. In particular, when the film supplying section is mounted tothe main body of the image processing device as an optional unit, inmost cases, the length of the film supply path is long due to therequirements imposed by the layout.

Moreover, there are digital image processing devices in which the filmsupplying section, at which can be set a film bundle in which aplurality of photographic films are stacked, is connected to one endportion of the reading conveying path, and the film receiving section,which receives the photographic film for which reading has beencompleted, is provided at the other end portion of the reading conveyingpath. In this digital image processing device, one photographic film isseparated from the topmost portion or the bottommost portion of the filmbundle by the film bundle by the film supplying section, and thisphotographic film is automatically supplied to the reading conveyingpath. In this digital image processing device, prescanning is carriedout while the photographic film, which has been supplied from the filmsupplying section, is conveyed in one direction along the readingconveying path toward the film receiving section. Thereafter, finescanning is carried out while the photographic film is conveyed in theother (return) direction along the reading conveying path toward thefilm supplying section.

Accordingly, in a digital image processing device such as that describedabove in which the film supplying section and the film receiving sectionare disposed with the reading conveying path therebetween, a subsequentphotographic film cannot be supplied to the reading conveying path by anauto film loader unless the fine scanning for the preceding photographicfilm has been completed and the trailing end of this precedingphotographic film whose conveying direction has been reversed reaches apredetermined position along the reading conveying path. As a result, aproblem arises in that, the longer the photographic film loaded in thefilm supplying section, the lower the image reading work efficiency fora plurality of photographic films.

Further, in the above-described digital image processing device, thefilm supplying section and the film receiving section are disposed suchthat the reading conveying path is located therebetween. Thus, thedimension along the transverse direction of the device, which issubstantially parallel to the conveying direction of the readingconveying path, is long. As a result, much floor space is required forplacement of the digital image processing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is toprovide a photographic film conveying device in which, while aphotographic film is being conveyed by a reading conveying means, noexternal force which causes the conveying speed to vary is applied tothe photographic film from a discharging conveying means at the time ofimage reading in which an image of the photographic film is read by animage reading means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a photographicfilm conveying device in which, even if the length of a film supply pathis long, after a preceding Nth photographic film is discharged from areading conveying path, the time until a subsequent (N+1)st photographicfilm is conveyed to the reading conveying path is not long.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a photographicfilm conveying device in which, even if a photographic film set in afilm supplying section is elongate, image reading of a plurality ofphotographic films by an image reading means can be carried outefficiently, and the amount of floor space required for the device canbe reduced.

A first aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveyingdevice which, while conveying along a film conveying path a strip-shapedphotographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of thephotographic film by an image reading section, the photographic filmconveying device comprising: a reading conveying section which conveysthe photographic film along the film conveying path such that an imagerecorded region of the photographic film passes through an image readingposition at which images are read by the image reading section; a filmreceiving section which receives the photographic film whose images havebeen read by the image reading section; a discharge conveying sectionwhich conveys the photographic film, whose images have been read by theimage reading section, along the film conveying path such that thephotographic film is discharged into the film receiving section; and anexternal disturbance preventing section which, at a time of imagereading when the images of the photographic film are read by the imagereading section, sets the discharge conveying section in a withdrawnstate in which the discharge conveying section is withdrawn from thephotographic film which is being conveyed by the reading conveyingsection, and which, after image reading of the photographic film iscompleted, sets the discharge conveying section in a conveying state inwhich conveying of the photographic film is possible.

A second aspect of the present invention is a photographic filmconveying device according to the first aspect, wherein the dischargeconveying section has a discharge roller pair which, while thephotographic film is nipped by a nip portion formed between a pair ofrollers, rotates the pair of rollers so as to feed-out the photographicfilm, and at the time of image reading of the photographic film, theexternal disturbance preventing section opens the nip portion such thatthe photographic film can pass between the pair of rollers at thedischarge roller pair, and when image reading of the photographic filmis completed, the external disturbance preventing section closes the nipportion such that the photographic film which is inserted between thepair of rollers at the discharge roller pair can be conveyed.

A third aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveyingdevice according to the second aspect, wherein, after image reading ofthe photographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventingsection closes the nip portion at the discharge roller pairsynchronously with the photographic film leaving from the readingconveying section.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a photographic filmconveying device according to the second or the third aspect, whereinthe film receiving section has a film holder, which can hold a pluralityof photographic films which are inserted from an exterior, and a pressermechanism, which presses a photographic film which has left from the nipportion of the discharge roller pair and inserts the photographic filminto the film holder.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveyingdevice which, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic film on whichimages are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by animage reading section, the photographic film conveying devicecomprising: a film supplying section provided with a loading portioninto which is loaded a film bundle in which photographic films arestacked, the film supplying section conveying one photographic film fromthe film bundle loaded in the loading portion to an image input sectionat which the image reading section is provided; a film supply path forguiding to the image input section the photographic film which isconveyed by the film supplying section; a reading conveying pathconnected to the film supply path, and guiding the photographic film,which is conveyed to the image input section along the film supply path,to an image reading position at which images are read by the imagereading section; a reading conveying section which conveys thephotographic film along the reading conveying path such that an imagerecorded region of the photographic film passes through the imagereading position; and

a conveying controlling section which, after starting of conveying bythe reading conveying section of an Nth photographic film which is anNth photographic film whose images are read, synchronously with atrailing end of the Nth photographic film passing through a connectionsection of the film supply path and the reading conveying path, startsconveying, from the loading portion and by the film supplying section,of an (N+1)st photographic film which is an (N+1) st photographic filmwhose images are read, and holds the (N+1)st photographic film in thefilm supply path until the Nth photographic film is discharged.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveyingdevice according to the fifth aspect, wherein a leading end detectingsensor is provided on the film supply path, and the leading enddetecting sensor detects a leading end of the photographic film conveyedby the film supplying section, and outputs a detection signal, and,synchronously with outputting of the detection signal from the leadingend detecting sensor, the conveying controlling section stops conveyingof the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section, and whenthe Nth photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path,restarts conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the filmsupplying section.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is a photographic filmconveying device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, furthercomprising: a film receiving section which receives the photographicfilm after image reading; a film feed-out path which merges with thefilm supply path and which guides to the film receiving section thephotographic film which has been discharged from the image input sectionthrough the reading conveying path; and a conveying switching sectionwhich switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, whenthe photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, thephotographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the filmsupply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passesthrough a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supplypath, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from thereading conveying path.

A eighth aspect of the present invention is a photographic filmconveying device which, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic filmon which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic filmby an image reading section, the photographic film conveying devicecomprising: an auto film loader including a film supplying section inwhich is loaded a film bundle in which photographic films before imagereading are stacked, and which conveys one photographic film from thefilm bundle into an image input section at which the image readingsection is provided, and a film receiving section which receivesphotographic films after image reading; a film supply path for guidingto the image input section the photographic film conveyed by the filmsupplying section; a reading conveying path which is connected to thefilm supply path and which guides, to an image reading position at whichimages are read by the image reading section, the photographic filmwhich is conveyed through the film supply path to the image inputsection; a reading conveying section which conveys the photographic filmalong the reading conveying path such that an image recorded region ofthe photographic film passes through the image reading position; a filmfeed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides tothe film receiving section the photographic film which is dischargedfrom the image input section through the reading conveying path; and aconveying switching section which switches a conveying path of thephotographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed bythe film supplying section, a leading end of the photographic filmenters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, andwhen a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a mergingsection with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, thephotographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the readingconveying path.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveyingdevice according to the eighth aspect, wherein the conveying switchingsection has a gate member which can move between a first guide position,at which the gate member guides the photographic film from the readingconveying path to the film feed-out path, and a second guide position,at which the gate member guides the photographic film from the filmsupply path to the reading conveying path, and the gate member is urgedto the first guide position, and the gate member moves from the firstguide position to the second guide position due to pushing force from aphotographic film which has reached the merging section at the time thephotographic film is being conveyed by the film supplying section, andafter a trailing end of the photographic film has passed through themerging section, the gate member returns to the first guide position.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveyingdevice according to the eighth or ninth aspect, further comprising aloop forming section which, at the time when the photographic film isbeing conveyed by both the film supplying section and the readingconveying section, forms a loop portion, which bends in a direction ofthickness of the photographic film, in the photographic film at the filmsupply path, and the loop forming section can feed a portion of the loopportion out toward the reading conveying path.

A eleventh aspect of the present invention is a photographic filmconveying device according to the eighth, ninth or tenth aspect, whereina discharge conveying section, which conveys the photographic film,which has entered into the film feed-out path, such that thephotographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path, and a filmholding section, which can hold ones of end portions of a plurality ofphotographic films which have been successively discharged from the filmfeed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided in the filmreceiving section.

In accordance with a photographic film conveying device of a firstaspect of the present invention, at a time of image reading when theimages of the photographic film are read by the image reading section,the external disturbance preventing section sets the discharge conveyingsection in a withdrawn state where the discharge conveying section iswithdrawn from the photographic film which is being conveyed by thereading conveying section. After image reading of the photographic filmis completed, the external disturbance preventing section sets thedischarge conveying section in a conveying state where conveying of thephotographic film is possible. In this way, at the time of image readingof the photographic film, no external force, such as resistance toconveying, impact force, tensile force, or the like is applied to thephotographic film from the discharge conveying section. Thus, theconveying speed of the photographic film by the reading conveyingsection can be prevented from varying due to an external force from thedischarge conveying section. As a result, the accuracy of reading thefilm images by the image reading section can be prevented from bedeteriorated due to variations in the conveying speed of thephotographic film. Thus, a deterioration in image quality of the imagesreproduced by the image information from the image reading section canbe prevented.

After image reading of the photographic film by the reading section hasbeen completed, the photographic film can be conveyed by the dischargeconveying section. Thus, the photographic film after image reading canbe discharged to the film receiving section from the film conveyingpath.

In accordance with the photographic film conveying device of a secondaspect of the present invention, at the time of image reading of thephotographic film, the external disturbance preventing section opens thenip portion such that the photographic film can pass between the pair ofrollers at the discharge roller pair, and when image reading of thephotographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventingsection closes the nip portion such that the photographic film which isinserted between the pair of rollers at the discharge roller pair can beconveyed. In this way, at the time of image reading of the photographicfilm, even if an end portion of the photographic film reaches thedischarge roller pair, the nip portion of the pair of rollers formingthe discharge roller pair is open. Thus, the photographic film can passsmoothly between the pair of rollers, and external force which can varythe conveying speed is prevented from being applied to the photographicfilm from the discharge roller pair. At this time, one of the rollers ofthe roller pair may be a guide member which, while sliding toward onesurface of the photographic film, guides the photographic film to apredetermined position of the film receiving section. Further, the pairof rollers may be withdrawn to positions at which the rollers do notcontact the photographic film, such that no frictional resistance isapplied to the photographic film from the discharge roller pair.

After image reading of the photographic film has been completed, the nipportion of the discharge roller pair is closed, and conveying of thephotographic film inserted between the pair of rollers is possible.Thus, the photographic film can be discharged into the film receivingsection by the discharge roller pair. At this time, if image reading ofthe photographic film has been completed, the closing of the nip portionmay be carried out before the photographic film is inserted between thepair of rollers. However, in this case, the photographic film must beconveyed by the reading conveying section up to the point where thephotographic film is inserted into the nip portion of the dischargeroller pair.

In accordance with the photographic film conveying device of a fifthaspect of the present invention, after starting of conveying by thereading conveying section of an Nth photographic film which is the Nthphotographic film whose images are read, synchronously with a trailingend of the Nth photographic film passing through a connection section ofthe film supply path and the reading conveying path, a conveyingcontrolling section starts conveying, from the loading section and bythe film supplying section, of an (N+1)st photographic film which is the(N+1)st photographic film whose images are read, and holds the (N+1)stphotographic film in the film supply path until the Nth photographicfilm is discharged from the connection section to a film feed-out path.In this way, at the time of image reading in which the images of the Nthphotographic film are read by the image reading section while the Nthphotographic film is conveyed along the reading conveying path by thereading conveying section, conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film bythe film supplying section from the loading section is already started.It is possible for the leading end of the (N+1)st photographic film tobe conveyed along the film supply path to before the connection sectionwith the reading conveying path. Thus, the time, from after thepreceding Nth photographic film has been discharged from the readingconveying path, to the time when the subsequent (N+1)st photographicfilm is conveyed into the reading conveying path from the film supplypath, can be shortened.

At this time, even in a case in which the length of the film supply pathis long, the reading time needed to read one photographic film by theimage reading section is usually longer than the conveying time forconveying the photographic film from the loading section to the readingconveying path along the film supply path. Thus, while the images of theNth photographic film are being read, the (N+1)st photographic film canbe conveyed along the film supply path until the leading end of the(N+1)st photographic film is just before the reading conveying path.Thus, without affecting the path length of the film supply path, thetime, from the time the Nth photographic film is discharged from thereading conveying path to the time the (N+1)st photographic film isconveyed from the film supply path to the reading conveying path, canalways be made constant and sufficiently short.

In the photographic film conveying device of the sixth aspect of thepresent invention, a leading end detecting sensor, which detects aleading end of the photographic film, is provided on the film supplypath. Synchronously with the outputting of a detection signal from theleading end detecting sensor, the conveying controlling section stopsconveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplyingsection. When the Nth photographic film is discharged from the readingconveying path, the conveying control section restarts conveying of the(N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section. Thus, while theimages of the Nth photographic film are being read, the (N+1)stphotographic film can be accurately conveyed until the leading endthereof is at a predetermined standby position at the film supply path.Therefore, the width of variations (errors) in the period of time fromthe time after the Nth photographic film is discharged from the readingconveying path to the time the (N+1)st photographic film is conveyedfrom the film supply path to the reading conveying path, can be madesufficiently small.

A photographic film conveying device of the seventh aspect of thepresent invention further includes: a film receiving section whichreceives the photographic film after image reading; a film feed-out pathwhich merges with the film supply path and which guides to the filmreceiving section the photographic film which has been discharged fromthe image input section through the reading conveying path; and aconveying switching section which switches a conveying path of thephotographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed bythe film supplying section, the photographic film enters into thereading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailingend of the photographic film passes through a merging section with thefilm feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film entersinto the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path. In thiscase, the (N+1)st photographic film cannot be fed into the readingconveying path with a fixed interval between the (N+1)st photographicfilm and the trailing end of the Nth photographic film.

Thus, at the photographic film conveying device having theabove-described structure, at the time of image reading when the imagesof the Nth photographic film are being read, conveying the (N+1)stphotographic film by the film supplying section until before theconnection section with the reading conveying path, is particularlyeffective in order to shorten the conveying time of the (N+1)stphotographic film from the film supply path to the reading conveyingpath.

In accordance with the photographic film conveying device of the eighthaspect of the present invention, the conveying switching sectionswitches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when thephotographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, a leadingend of the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path fromthe film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic filmpasses through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the filmsupply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out pathfrom the reading conveying path. In this way, when the leading end ofthe photographic film, which is being conveyed along the film supplypath by the film supplying section, reaches the reading conveying path,the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from thefilm supply path, and is conveyed along the reading conveying path so asto pass through the reading position. Further, after the trailing end ofthis photographic film passes through the merging section, when theconveying direction of the photographic film is reversed and thetrailing end reaches the merging section, the photographic film entersinto the film feed-out path, and is fed-out along the film feed-out pathto the film receiving section.

Accordingly, if prescanning of the photographic film is carried out bythe image reading section while the photographic film is being conveyedin one direction from the merging section toward the reading positionand fine scanning of the photographic film is carried out while thephotographic film is being conveyed in the other (return) direction fromthe reading position toward the merging section, even if thephotographic film is elongate, the trailing end side of the photographicfilm can be fed-out along the film feed-out path into the film receivingsection while the photographic film is being fine scanned while beingconveyed in the other (return) direction. Thus, after fine scanning iscompleted, simultaneously with the leading end of the photographic filmpassing through the merging section, supply of the next photographicfilm by the film supplying section into the reading conveying path ispossible.

As a result, as compared with a conventional device in which, after finescanning of the photographic film is completed, the conveying directionof the photographic film is reversed and the photographic film isfed-out into a film receiving section provided at the opposite side ofthe film supplying section, the period of time from the time finescanning is completed to the time when supply of the next photographicfilm into the reading conveying path is possible (i.e., the feed-outwait time) can be shortened. Further, even if the photographic film iselongate, the feed-out wait time does not increase. Thus, the readingtime when images of a plurality of photographic films are continuouslyread by the image reading section can be shortened.

Further, in the photographic film conveying device of the presentinvention, both the film supplying section, in which the photographicfilms before image reading are loaded, and the film receiving section,in which the photographic films after image reading are received, aredisposed in the auto film loader. Thus, as compared with a device inwhich the film supplying section and the film receiving section aredisposed on opposite sides of the reading conveying path, the dimensionalong the transverse direction of the device, which is substantiallyparallel to the conveying direction of the reading conveying path, canbe shortened. Thus, the floor space which is necessary to place thedevice can be decreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an exterior of an image inputdevice relating to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a digital labsystem using the image input device relating to the embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the structure of a film carrier and an AFLunit in the image input device relating to the embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the structure along aphotographic film conveying path in the image input device relating tothe embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of a reading opticalsystem in the image input device relating to the embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view, as seen from along a film conveying direction,of a film holder set in a film supplying section in the image inputdevice relating to the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the image inputdevice relating to the embodiments of the present invention, andillustrates a state in which the AFL unit is withdrawn backward.

FIG. 8 is a front view, as seen from along a film conveying direction,of a film holder and a pressing member provided in the image inputdevice relating to the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in an image input device relating to a first embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the first embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 11 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the first embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing a structure, along aphotographic film conveying path, in image input devices relating tosecond and third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a system structure of the image inputdevice relating to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the second embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 15 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the second embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 16 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the second embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 17 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the third embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 18 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the third embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 19 is a control flowchart showing photographic film conveyingcontrol in the image input device relating to the third embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An image input device relating to a first embodiment of the presentinvention will be described hereinafter on the basis of the drawings.

Structure of the Embodiment

FIG. 1 illustrates the exterior of an image input device relating to theembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showingthe schematic structure of a digital lab system using the image inputdevice relating to the embodiments of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 2, a digital lab system 10 is provided with an image input device12 and an image output device 14. The image input device 12 is providedwith a line CCD scanner 16 and an image processing section 18. The imageoutput device 14 is provided with a laser printer section 20 and aprocessor section 22.

The line CCD scanner 16 is for reading film images recorded on aphotographic film such as a negative film or a reversal film or thelike. The line CCD scanner 16 has a line CCD 24 (see FIG. 5) in whichare aligned three rows of sensors for R (red), G (green) and B (blue)photometry. An image of a photographic film 26 is read by the line CCD24, and the image data of the three colors of R, G, B is outputted tothe image processing section 18.

The image processing section 18 carries out image processings such ascorrection and the like on the image data from the line CCD 24, andoutputs the image processed data to the laser printer section 20 asimage data for recording. Further, the image processing section 18 canoutput the image data which was subjected to the image processings tothe exterior as an image file. (For example, the image processingsection 18 can output the image processed data to a storage medium suchas a memory card or to an external storage device such as an HDD, or cantransmit the image processed data to another information processingdevice via a communication line, or the like.)

The laser printer section 20 is provided with laser light sources whichemit R, G, B laser lights. The laser light, which is modulated inaccordance with the image data for recording inputted from the imageprocessing section 18, is illuminated onto a photographic printingpaper, and an image (latent image) is formed on the photographicprinting paper by scan exposure. Further, the processor section 22carries out the respective processings of color developing, bleachingfixing, rinsing, and drying on the photographic printing paper which hasbeen scan exposed by the laser printer section 20. In this way, thelatent image formed on the photographic printing paper is developed suchthat a visible image is formed.

FIG. 5 illustrates a reading optical system 28 included in the line CCD24 provided in the image input device 12. The reading optical system 28is provided with a light source 30 formed from a metal halide lamp or ahalogen lamp or the like. A parabolic reflector 32, through which IR(infrared) light selectively passes, is disposed such that the lightsource 30 is positioned at the focal point position. The light emittedfrom the light source 30 is reflected by the reflector 32 and isilluminated in the direction of the photographic film 26.

An IR cutting filter 34 which cuts the infrared rays of the lightemitted from the light source 30, filters 36C 36Y, 36M for C (cyan), M(magenta), and Y (yellow), and a light diffusion box 38 which makes thelight illuminated to the photographic film 26 into diffused light, aredisposed in that order from the light source 30 side on an optical axisL in the reading optical system 28 as shown in FIG. 5. The IR cuttingfilters 34, 36C, 36M, 36Y are formed so as to be movable independentlyof one another. The amounts of insertion of the IR cutting filters 34,36C, 36M, 36Y onto the optical path is adjusted in consideration of thebalance of the light amounts of the respective component color lightsemitted from the light source 30, the sensitivities with respect to therespective component color lights at the line CCD 24, and the like. Inthis way, the balance of the amounts of R, G, B color lights received atthe line CCD 24 can be adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 1, a planar work table 40 is provided at the imageinput device 12 so as to be substantially parallel to a floor F. Asshown in FIG. 3, an opening 42, which passes through in the thicknessdirection of the work table 40, is formed in the work table 40. Avibration isolating stand 44 which is mounted to a frame of the deviceis disposed in the opening 42. The vibration isolating stand 44 issupported such that the top surface portion thereof is flush with thetop surface of the work table 40. A housing-shaped film carrier 46 isremovably mounted to the top surface portion of the vibration isolatingstand 44.

The vibration isolating stand 44 is mounted to the device frame via anelastic member 48 formed from a vibration isolating rubber or the like.Vibrations from a source of vibration, such as the exterior of thedevice or a motor within the device or the like, are blocked by theelastic member 48. The vibration isolating stand 44, together with thefilm carrier 46, integrally support the reading optical system 28. Inthis way, even if vibrations are transmitted to the frame at the time ofreading an image of the photographic film 26, the film carrier 46 andthe reading optical system 28 are respectively maintained in stationarystates, such that a deterioration in the accuracy of reading thephotographic film 26 due to vibrations is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 5, a lens unit 50, which focuses the light which haspassed through the photographic film 26, is disposed at the side of thefilm carrier 46 opposite the side at which the light source 30 isprovided. The line CCD 24 is disposed at the focusing position of thelens unit 50. Note that in FIG. 5, the lens unit 50 is illustrated as asingle lens. However, the lens unit 50 may be a single focusing lens ormay be a zoom lens formed from plural lenses.

The line CCD 24 is formed by a three-line color CCD in which three CCDcell rows are provided. The CCD cell row is formed by CCD cells beingarranged in a line orthogonal to the conveying direction of thephotographic film 26 by the film carrier 46. A color separating filterof R, G, or B is mounted to the light-incident side of each of the threeCCD cell rows. Accordingly, main scanning of the film reading is carriedout along the direction in which the CCD cells are aligned, andsubscanning of the film image reading is carried out by the photographicfilm 26 being conveyed by the film carrier 46.

At the line CCD 24, the three lines (CCD cell rows) are disposed so asto be separated by predetermined intervals along the conveying directionof the photographic film 26 in the film carrier 46 (i.e., along thesubscanning direction). Thus, there is a time lag in the detection timesof the respective component colors of R, G, B of the same pixel.However, in the present embodiment, the output times of the photometricsignals are delayed by different time lags for each of the componentcolors so that the R, G, B photometric signals of the same pixel areoutputted simultaneously from the line CCD scanner 16.

As shown in FIG. 4, a reading conveying path 52, which is for guidingthe photographic film 26 to a predetermined reading position R, isprovided at the film carrier 46. The reading conveying path 52 extendsto the interior of the film carrier 46 from a distal end surface of asupply guiding portion 54 which projects sideways from a side plateportion of the film carrier 46. A film supply opening 53 for supplyingthe photographic film 26 to the reading conveying path 52 is formed inthe distal end surface of the supply guiding portion 54.

As shown in FIG. 4, a first conveying roller pair 56, a second conveyingroller pair 58 and a third conveying roller pair 60 are disposed inorder in the film carrier 46 along the reading conveying path 52 fromthe film supply opening 53 side. Each of the conveying roller pairs 56,58, 60 is formed by a driven roller and a driving roller. Torque from acommon conveying motor 61 (see FIG. 3) is transmitted to the respectivedriving rollers of the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60. Here, theconveying motor 61 is formed by a step motor which can control therotational speeds and the directions of rotation of the respectiveconveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60.

When the photographic film 26 is supplied into the film carrier 46 fromthe film supply opening 53, the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 conveythe photographic film 26 along the reading conveying path 52 in onedirection (the subscanning direction) which is orthogonal to the opticalaxis L. A slit hole 62 which is elongated in the transverse direction ofthe photographic film 26 is formed in the film carrier 46 along theoptical axis L as shown in FIG. 4. In this way, the light emitted fromthe light source 30 passes through the photographic film 26 and isincident on the lens unit 50 above the film carrier 46. Here, theposition at which the optical axis L of the reading optical system 28and the photographic film 26 within the film carrier 46 intersect oneanother is the reading position R.

As shown in FIG. 3, a film wind-up section 64, which is substantiallycylindrical, is formed integrally with the film carrier 46 at the endportion thereof opposite the end portion at which the film supplyopening 53 is formed. The other end portion of the reading conveyingpath 52 is connected to the film wind-up section 64. The inner wallportion of the film wind-up section 64 is a guide surface for making thephotographic film 26 bend in accordance with the natural curl thereof.In this way, the photographic film 26, which is conveyed into the filmwind-up section 64 from the reading conveying path 52 by the thirdconveying roller pair 60, is wound up in a roll form and accommodated inthe film wind-up section 64.

As shown in FIG. 3, within the film carrier 46 and along the readingconveying path 52, a first film sensor 66 in the film carrier 46 isprovided between the film supply opening 53 and the first conveyingroller pair 56, and a second film sensor 68 in the film carrier 46 isprovided between the first conveying roller pair 56 and the secondconveying roller pair 58. These film sensors 66 in the film carrier 46,68 in the film carrier 46 each have a light projecting portion and alight receiving portion which oppose one another across the readingconveying path 52. When the light emitted from the light projectingportion is blocked by the photographic film 26, the light receivingsection outputs a detection signal synchronously therewith.

As shown in FIG. 1, at the image input device 12, an auto film loaderunit (hereinafter, “AFL unit”) 70 is attached, as an optional unit, tothe side (the right side in FIG. 1) of the work table 40. A filmsupplying section 71 (see FIG. 3) is provided at the top surface portionof the AFL unit 70. A film bundle 72, which is formed by photographicfilms 26 which have not yet been subjected to image reading beingstacked in the direction of thickness thereof, is set in the filmsupplying section 71. A film holder cover 74, which is provided at thetop surface portion of the AFL unit 70, and a film accommodating chamber76, which is a circular recess which opens toward the top surfaceportion of the AFL unit 70, are provided at the film supplying section71. The film accommodating chamber 76 is of a depth which corresponds tothe width of the photographic film 26. A plurality of guide pins 78 aredisposed erect at the peripheral portion of the bottom surface of thefilm accommodating chamber 76 along the peripheral direction thereof atsubstantially even intervals.

One end of an elongated, groove-shaped film guide path 80 is connectedto the outer peripheral surface of the film accommodating chamber 76.The film guide path 80 extends to the interior of the film holder cover74 which is disposed behind the film accommodating chamber 76 as viewedby the operator. The film holder cover 74 is disposed at the top surfaceportion of the AFL unit 70 so as to be able to be opened and closed. Asshown in FIG. 3, a cover sensor 81 is provided at the film supplyingsection 71. The cover sensor 81 detects the film holder cover which isat the closed position and outputs a detection signal.

As shown in FIG. 3, a film holder 82 is provided at the film supplyingsection 71 at the inner side of the film holder cover 74. The leadingend portion of the film bundle 72 is loaded in the film holder 82. Asshown in FIG. 6, the film holder 82 is provided with a holding hardware84 which is bent in a substantial U-shape. The interval between theplate portions at the both sides of the holding hardware 84, whichinterval is along the transverse direction of the photographic film 26,is, at the proximal end portion, substantially equal to the width of thephotographic film 26, and becomes more narrow in a taper form towardfrom the proximal end portion toward the open end.

As shown in FIG. 6, a lever member 90, which connects the holdinghardware 84 to the top surface of the AFL unit 70 via a connecting shaft88, is provided at the film holder 82. In this way, the film holder 82is supported so as to be able to swing around the connecting shaft 88between a predetermined supply position and a predetermined loadingposition. Here, when the film holder 82 is at the loading position,which is reached by the film holder 82 being swung substantially 90°clockwise from the supply position illustrated in FIG. 6, the filmbundle 72 can be loaded into the film holder 82 by the operator. Asshown in FIG. 4, a holder sensor 91, which detects the film holder 82 inthe supply position and outputs a detection signal, is disposed at thefilm supplying section 71.

When the film bundle 72 is to be loaded into the film holder 82, first,the operator opens the film holder cover 74 and swings the film holder82 to the loading position. Thereafter, the operator sets uniform theleading end portions (the end portions at the side of the recorded imageof the first frame) of the plural photographic films 26 forming the filmbundle 72 such that the leading end portions are aligned, and places thefilm bundle 72 into the film accommodating chamber 76 as shown in FIG.1. At this time, the film bundle 72 is wound around the outer peripheralside of the three guide pins 78 such that the film bundle 72 curvesalong the natural curl thereof, and the leftover portion at the trailingend side thereof is inserted at the inner peripheral side of the guidepins 78.

Next, the operator extends the leading end side of the film bundle 72from the film accommodating chamber 76 toward the film holder 82 alongthe film guide path 80, and pushes the leading end portion of the filmbundle 72 into the space between the both side plate portions of theholding hardware 84 of the film holder 82. At this time, as shown inFIG. 6, the leading end portion of the film bundle 72 is in a state inwhich the transverse direction central portion thereof is curved so asto swell toward the opening end side of the holding hardware 84, and thefilm side end portions are pressed into the interior of the holdinghardware 84 so as to be pressed against the side plate portions of theholding hardware 84. In this way, the photographic films 26 forming thefilm bundle 72 are held by the holding hardware 84 such that thephotographic films 26 can move in the longitudinal direction of thefilms with a small conveying resistance, but movement thereof in thefilm thickness direction is restricted. The photographic films 26forming the film bundle 72 are loaded in the film holder 82 such thatthe front surfaces (emulsion surfaces) thereof face toward the proximalend portion side of the holding hardware 84.

An actuator 93 (see FIG. 4) is connected to the film holder 82. A feedroller 92 is provided at the film supplying section 71 so as to face thefilm bundle 72 set in the film holder 82 which is at the supplyingposition. The roller surface of the feed roller 92 is formed by a rubberor the like which is elastic and has a high coefficient of friction.Here, the actuator 93 moves the film holder 82, which is in thesupplying position, along the direction of thickness of the film bundle72 to either a predetermined press-contact position or a predeterminedseparated position. When the film holder 82 is moved to thepress-contact position, the reverse surface of the photographic film 26which is positioned at the bottommost portion of the film bundle 72 ismade to press-contact the roller surface of the feed roller 92. When thefilm holder 82 is moved to the separated position, the film bundle 72 ismoved away from the feed roller 92.

The feed roller 92 is connected to a feed motor 94 (see FIG. 4) via atorque transmitting mechanism (not shown). The feed roller 92 rotates ina predetermined feeding direction (the direction of arrow CCW) at thetime of driving of the feed motor 94. Accordingly, when the film holder82 moves from the separated position to the press-contact position atthe time of driving of the feed motor 94, the one photographic film 26,which is positioned at the bottommost portion of the film bundle 72, isseparated from the film bundle 72 set in the film holder 82, and thisphotographic film 26 is fed downstream along the longitudinal directionof the films due to the frictional force received from the portion whichpress-contacts the feed roller 92.

As shown in FIG. 4, a film sensor 95, which detects the film bundle 72set in the film holder 82, is provided in the film supplying section 71at the side beneath the film holder 82. The film sensor 95 outputs adetection signal at the time when the film bundle 72 (the photographicfilms 26) exist in the film holder 82 and the film holder 82 is at thesupplying position.

A film supply path 96 is provided at the film supplying section 71 asshown in FIG. 4. The film supply path 96 is for guiding, to the imageinput device 12, the photographic film 26 which has been fed out fromthe film holder 82 by the feed roller 92. One end portion of the feedsupply path 96 opens toward a vicinity of the upper end portion of thefeed roller 92 such that the photographic film 26 which is fed outtoward the image input device 12 by the feed roller 92 is inserted intothe film supply path 96.

A connection opening 121, which opens toward the film carrier 46 side,is provided at the other end portion of the film supply path 96. Asshown in FIG. 4, the connection opening 121 directly opposes the filmsupply opening 53 of the reading conveying path 52 with a predeterminedclearance C therebetween. Here, the clearance C is set such that, evenin a case in which the film carrier 46 is integral with the vibrationisolating stand 44 and is displaced relative to the device frame, thedistal end of the supply guiding portion 54 does not collide with theAFL unit 70.

As shown in FIG. 4, at the AFL unit 70, a first conveying roller pair98, a first guide roller pair 102, a second conveying roller pair 100,and a second guide roller pair 104 are disposed along the film supplypath 96 in that order from the upstream side. Here, the conveying rollerpairs 98, 100 are each formed from a driving roller and a driven roller,and the torque from the feed motor 94 is transmitted to the drivingrollers. Further, each of the guide roller pairs 102, 104 is formed by apair of driven rollers.

A loop guide roller 106 is provided at the film supplying section 71along the film supply path 96 between the second conveying roller pair100 and the second guide roller pair 104. The loop guide roller 106 issupported such that a portion of the upper end side thereof projectsfrom the lower surface of the film supply path 96. The loop guide roller106 makes the photographic film 26, which has been fed in toward thesecond guide roller pair 104 from the second conveying roller pair 100,rise up slightly from the bottom surface of the film supply path 96. Inthis way, when the leading end side of the photographic film 26 isconveyed by the first conveying roller pair 56 of the film carrier 46and the trailing end side of the photographic film 26 is conveyed by thesecond conveying roller pair 100 of the AFL unit 70, the formation of aloop portion 108 (see FIG. 3) which bends upward in the photographicfilm 26 between the second conveying roller pair 100 and the secondguide roller pair 104 is promoted.

A loop detecting lever 110 and a loop sensor 112 for detecting the loopportion 108 formed in the photographic film 26 are provided at the filmsupply path 96 as shown in FIG. 4. The loop detecting lever 110 issupported so as to be swingable around a supporting shaft portion 114provided at the downstream side of the loop guide roller 106. When theloop portion 108 is not detected, the loop detecting lever 110 is heldby its own weight at a non-detecting position at which the distal endportion of the loop detecting lever 110 contacts the loop guide roller106. A substantially fan-shaped striker portion 116 is providedintegrally with the loop detecting lever 110 so as to project upwardlyin a vicinity of the shaft supporting portion 114.

When the loop portion 108 is formed in the photographic film 26, thedistal end portion of the loop detecting lever 110 is pushed upward bythe loop portion 108 such that the loop detecting lever 110 is swung inone direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 4) from the non-detectingposition. At this time, when a loop portion 108 (see FIG. 3) of apredetermined size is formed in the photographic film 26, the loopsensor 112 detects the striker portion 116 of the loop detecting lever110, and outputs a loop detection signal. At the AFL unit 70, thedriving of the feed motor 94 is controlled on the basis of this loopdetection signal.

Here, the second guide roller pair 104 positioned at the downstream sideof the loop portion 108 is formed by two driven rollers, and apply tothe photographic film 26 only a slight conveying resistance which isneeded in order to maintain the loop portion 108. As a result, when thetension of the photographic film 26 increases at the downstream side ofthe second guide roller pair 104, the photographic film 26 in which theloop portion 108 is formed is fed to the downstream side of the secondguide roller pair 104 such that the tension of the photographic film 26is reduced.

A film receiving section 118 is provided at the AFL unit 70 beneath thefilm supplying section 71 as shown in FIG. 4. The film receiving section118 receives the photographic film 26 which has been discharged out fromthe film supply opening 53 of the reading conveying path 52. One endportion of a film feed-out path 120 is connected to the film receivingsection 118. The film feed-out path 120 guides, to the interior of thefilm receiving section 118, the photographic film 26 which has beendischarged out from the film supply opening 53. The other end portion ofthe film feed-out path 120 is connected to a region of the film supplypath 96 which is slightly upstream of the connection opening 121.

A conveying merging section 122 is provided at the film supply path 96at the portion thereof which connects with the film feed-out path 120.As shown in FIG. 4, the conveying merging section 122 forms asubstantially wedge-shaped space whose width decreases toward theconnection opening 121, between the upper surface of the film supplypath 96 and the bottom surface of the film feed-out path 120. A pair ofguide rollers 124, 126 is disposed at the conveying merging section 122.The guide roller 124 is supported such that the lower end portionthereof projects from the upper surface of the film supply path 96 intothe conveying merging section 122. The guide roller 126 is supportedsuch that the upper end portion thereof projects from the bottom surfaceof the film feed-out path 120 into the conveying merging section 122.

As shown in FIG. 4, a substantially wedge-shaped gate lever 128, whosewidth decreases toward the connection opening 121, is disposed in theconveying merging section 122. The gate lever 128 is supported so as tobe swingable between a predetermined first guide position and apredetermined second guide position, around a swinging shaft 129 whichis provided at the end portion of the gate lever 128 at the sideopposite the connection opening 121. The gate lever 128 is always urgedtoward the first guide position, which is shown in FIG. 4, by an urgingmember (not shown) such as a coil spring or the like. Here, the distalend portion of the gate lever 128 which is at the first guide positionpress-contacts the roller surface of the guide roller 124. In this way,due to the gate lever 128, the guide supply path 96 within the conveyingmerging section 122 is closed, and the photographic film 26, which isconveyed toward the conveying merging section 122 through the connectionopening 121 at the bottom surface side is guided to enter the filmfeed-out path 120.

When the photographic film 26 is conveyed to the conveying mergingsection 122 from the upstream side of the film supply path 96, the gatelever 128 is pushed by the leading end portion of the photographic film26 and swings from the first guide position to the second guideposition. In this way, the photographic film 26 can pass between theguide roller 124 and the gate lever 128, and is guided by the uppersurface side of the gate lever 128 so as to be discharged from theconnection opening 121.

At the film supplying section 71, along the film supply path 96, a firstfilm sensor 130 is provided slightly downstream of the first conveyingroller pair 98 and a second film sensor 132 is provided slightlyupstream of the conveying merging section 122, as shown in FIG. 4. Thefilms sensors 130, 132 detect the photographic film 26 within the filmsupply path 96, and output a detection signal.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the film receiving section 118, a dischargeroller pair 138, which is formed by a driving roller 134 and a drivenroller 136, faces the opening of the film feed-out path 120. Here, thedriving roller 134 is supported beneath the opening of the film feed-outpath 120 in the heightwise direction, and the driven roller 136 issupported above the film feed-out path 120 in the heightwise direction.Further, a discharge motor 140, which is connected to the driving roller134 via a torque transmitting mechanism (not shown), and an actuator142, which is connected to the driven roller 136 via a roller frame 143,are provided in the film receiving section 118.

The actuator 142 is formed from, for example, an electromagneticsolenoid, or a cam mechanism driven by a motor. The actuator 142 movesthe driven roller 136, along a direction orthogonal to the film feed-outdirection by the discharge roller pair 138, between a closed nipposition at which the driven roller 136 press-contacts the drivingroller 134 and an open nip position at which the driven roller 136 isseparated from the driving roller 134. The discharge motor 140, at thetime of driving thereof, rotates the driving roller 134 in apredetermined direction (the clockwise direction in FIG. 4). Here, whenthe driven roller 136 is moved to the open nip position by the actuator142, the discharge roller pair 138 is in a withdrawn state of beingwithdrawn from the photographic film 26 which is fed into the filmfeed-out path 120 from the reading conveying path 52 by the conveyingroller pairs 56, 58, 60 of the film carrier 46. Further, when the drivenroller 136 is moved to the closed nip position by the actuator 142, thedischarge roller pair 138 is in a conveying state in which thephotographic film 26 discharged from the film feed-out path 120 can benipped by the nip portion and the photographic film 26 can be pulledinto the film receiving section 118.

At the film receiving section 118, as shown in FIG. 4, the axial centerof the driven roller 136 is offset, toward the downstream side and by apredetermined distance along the film discharge direction, from theaxial center of the driving roller 134. In this way, the nip portion ofthe driving roller 134 and the driven roller 136 which are at the closednip position is formed at the film discharging direction downstream sideof the axial center of the driving roller 134, as shown in FIG. 3.

A film holder 144 is disposed in the film receiving section 118 at thedownstream side of the discharge roller pair 138 along the filmdischarging direction, as shown in FIG. 4. The film holder 144 isprovided with a holding hardware 160, which is bent in a substantialU-shape as shown in FIG. 8, and anchor guide members 162 which areadhered to the inner sides of the side plate portions of the holdinghardware 160. The anchor guide member 162 is formed in a sheet-likeshape, and a plurality of extremely small projections which are flexibleare formed at one side surface thereof.

As shown in FIG. 4, a presser member 146, which is elongated andplate-shaped, and an actuator 148, which is connected to the top surfaceportion of the presser member 146, are provided above the film holder144 in the film receiving section 118. The presser member 146 issupported such that the longitudinal direction thereof is substantiallyparallel to the film feed-out direction of the discharge roller pair138. The actuator 148 moves the presser member 146, along a directionsubstantially orthogonal to the film feed-out direction, to either apredetermined pressing position or a predetermined standby position.Here, when the presser member 146 moves to the pressing position, thepresser member 146 is inserted into the holding hardware 160 of the filmholder 144 as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 8. Further, when thepresser member 146 is moved to the standby position, the presser member146 is separated from the film holder 144 as shown by the solid line inFIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the state in which the photographic film 26 isbetween the presser member 146 and the film holder 144, when theactuator 148 moves the presser member 146 from the standby position tothe pressing position, both end portions of the photographic film 26 arepressed by the presser member 146, and the photographic film 26 isinserted into the holding hardware 160. In this way, the photographicfilm 26 is anchored by the anchor guide members 162 of the film holder144, and is held in the holding hardware 160 by the holding force fromthe anchor guide members 162. At this time, the anchor guide members 162apply to the photographic film 26 a holding force which is sufficientlylarge to stop the photographic film 26 within the holding hardware 160against the weight of the photographic film 26.

A film sensor 150 is provided in the film receiving section 118 slightlyupstream of the film discharge opening of the film feed-out path 120, asshown in FIG. 4. The film sensor 150 detects the photographic film 26within the film feed-out path 120, and outputs a detection signal.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, when the AFLunit 70 is not used, as shown in FIG. 7, the AFL unit 70 is slid to therear, and the film supply path 96 and the film feed-out path 120 are cutoff from the reading conveying path 52 of the film carrier 46. In thisway, by sliding the AFL unit 70 toward the rear, the photographic film26 can be directly inserted from the film supply opening 53 (see FIG. 4)into the reading conveying path 52. Further, in this state in which theAFL unit 70 is slid to the rear, the photographic film 26, which isdischarged from the reading conveying path 52 after fine scanning iscompleted, drops down into and is accommodated in a film feed-outcontainer 158 fixed to the outer side surface of the image input device12.

Operation of the Embodiment

Operation of the image input device 12 relating to the embodiment of thepresent invention will be described hereinafter on the basis of theflowcharts of FIGS. 9 through 11. The film bundle 72, which is formedfrom a plurality of photographic films 26 which have been developed, isalready set in the film holder 82 of the film supplying section 71.Further, the series of operations shown in FIGS. 9 through 11 arecontrolled by a control section (not shown) of the image input device12.

As shown in FIG. 9, in step 200, the power source of the image inputdevice 12 is turned on. In step 202, on the basis of a detection signalfrom the cover sensor 81, a determination is made as to whether the filmholder cover 74 is closed. If it is judged in step 202 that the filmholder cover 74 is not closed, the routine moves on to step 204 where itis displayed that the device is in an error state by an error messagebeing displayed on a display portion 152 (see FIG. 1) or by an LED 154(see FIG. 3) blinking. Note that, in the following steps as well, whenit is displayed that the device is in an error state, operation of theimage input device 12 is temporarily stopped until the operator carriesout a processing by which the error state is reset.

If it is judged in step 202 that the film holder cover 74 is closed, theroutine moves to step 206 where, on the basis of the detection signalfrom the holder sensor 91, it is judged whether or not the film holder82 is at the closed position, and on the basis of the detection signalfrom the film sensor 95, it is judged whether the film bundle 72(photographic films 26) exists at the film holder 82. When the filmholder 82 is not at the closed position and the film bundle 72 is not inthe film holder 82, the routine moves on to step 208 where it isdisplayed that the device is in an error state.

In step 206, when the film holder 82 is at the closed position and thefilm bundle 72 is at the film holder 82, the routine moves on to step210 wherein the driving of the feed motor 94 is started and the filmholder 82 is moved from the separated position to the press-contactposition by the actuator 93. In this way, the photographic film 26 whichis positioned at the lowermost portion of the film bundle 72 set in thefilm holder 82 is fed into the film supply path 96, and is inserted intothe nip portion of the first conveying roller pair 98.

In step 212, a determination is made as to whether or not the leadingend of the photographic film 26 has been detected, within apredetermined threshold time T₁, by the first film sensor 130 which isdisposed slightly downstream of the first conveying roller pair 98. Ifthe leading end of the photographic film 26 is not detected by the firstfilm sensor 130 within the threshold time T₁, the routine moves on tostep 214, and it is displayed that the device is in an error state.Further, when the leading end of the photographic film 26 is detected bythe first film sensor 130 within the threshold time T₁, the routinemoves on to step 216 where the film holder 82 is moved from thepress-contact position to the separated position by the actuator 93.

After the film holder 82 is moved to the separated position, thephotographic film 26 is conveyed along the film supply path 96 by theconveying roller pairs 98, 100. When the leading end portion of thephotographic film 26 reaches the conveying merging section 122, the gatelever 128, which is at the first guide position, is swung to the secondguide position against the urging force. In this way, the photographicfilm 26 is conveyed between the guide lever 128 and the guide roller 124to the connection opening 121, and enters from the connection opening121 into the reading conveying path 52 of the film carrier 46.

In step 218, a determination is made as to whether, after the leadingend of the photographic film 26 has been detected by the first filmsensor 130, the leading end of the photographic film 26 is detected bythe first film sensor 66 of the film carrier 46 within a predeterminedthreshold time T₂. If the leading end of the photographic film 26 hasnot been detected by the first film sensor 66 in the film carrier 46within the threshold time T₂, the routine moves on to step 220 where itis displayed that the device is in an error state. Further, if theleading end of the photographic film 26 has been detected by the firstfilm sensor 66 in the film carrier 46 within the threshold time T₂, theroutine moves on to step 222 where driving of the conveying motor 61 ofthe film carrier 46 is started. At this time, the conveying motor 61 iscontrolled so as to rotate in the forward rotating direction at a speedcorresponding to the prescanning speed of the photographic film 26. Inthis way, the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 of the film carrier 46begin to rotate at the same speed in the direction (forward rotatingdirection) of conveying the photographic film 26 from the film supplyopening 53 toward the film wind-up section 64.

Even after the leading end is detected by the first film sensor 66 inthe film carrier 46, the photographic film 26 is conveyed in the readingconveying path 52 by the conveying force from the film supplying section71, until the leading end portion is inserted into the nip portion ofthe first conveying roller pair 56. In this way, the leading end side ofthe photographic film 26 starts to be conveyed by the first conveyingroller pair 56 of the film carrier 46. Thereafter, when the leading endof the photographic film 26 is detected by the second film sensor 68 inthe film carrier 46 disposed between the conveying roller pairs 56, 58,synchronously therewith, the control section starts driving of the lineCCD scanner 16 (steps 224-226).

Thereafter, at the film carrier 46, the leading end of the photographicfilm 26 is successively inserted into the nip portions of the secondconveying roller pair 58 and the third conveying roller pair 60, and theconveying of the photographic film 26 along the reading conveying path52 by the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 is carried out. At thistime, at the reading position R, prescanning of the photographic film 26by the line CCD scanner 16 is carried out. The prescanning data, whichis obtained by reading at a low resolution the images recorded on thephotographic film 26, is outputted from the line CCD. On the basis ofthis prescanning data, the control section recognizes characteristicamounts such as the number and positions of the image frames on thephotographic film 26, the aspect ratio of each image, the density ofeach image, and the like. Further, the portion of the photographic film26 for which prescanning has been completed is fed into the film wind-upsection 64 from the reading conveying path 52 by the third conveyingroller pair 60 and is wound up in a roll form.

The film conveying speed by the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 of thefilm carrier 46 at the time of the above-described prescanning is set tobe slower than the film conveying speed by the conveying roller pairs98, 100 at the film supplying section 71. Accordingly, when the leadingend of the photographic film 26, whose trailing end side is beingconveyed by the second conveying roller pair 100 of the film supplyingsection 71, is inserted into the nip portion of the first conveyingroller pair 56 of the film carrier 46, the loop portion 108 (see FIG.3), which bends upwardly, begins to be formed in the photographic film26 at the portion thereof between the second guide roller pair 104 andthe second conveying roller pair 100 in the film supplying section 71.This loop portion 108 increases in accordance with the increase in theconveying time by both the conveying roller pair 100 of the filmsupplying section 71 and the conveying roller pair 56 of the filmcarrier 46. At this time, when the loop portion 108 becomes apredetermined size and the loop detecting lever 110 is swung to thedetection position shown in FIG. 3, the loop sensor 112 outputs a loopdetection signal 112.

In steps 228 through 236, when it is judged that the loop detectionsignal has been outputted from the loop sensor 112, driving of the feedmotor 94 is restarted after the feed motor 94 of the film supplyingsection 71 is stopped for a preset stopping time T₃. This stopping timeT₃ is set, on the basis of the conveying speed of the conveying rollerpair 56 of the film carrier 46, to be a length of time during which theloop portion 108 does not disappear during stopping of the feed motor94. The control section repeats the above-described control ofintermittently driving the feed motor, until the trailing end of thephotographic film 26 is detected by the second film sensor 132 which isdisposed downstream of the second guide roller pair 104. In step 236,when the control section judges that the trailing end of thephotographic film 26 has been detected by the second film sensor 132,the routine moves on to step 238 where the feed motor 94 is stopped.

When the tension of the photographic film 26 at the downstream side ofthe second guide roller pair 104, which is positioned downstream of theloop section 108, increases, the second guide roller pair 104 feeds aportion of the loop portion 108 toward the downstream side so as todecrease the tension of the photographic film 26. As a result, theincrease in tension of the photographic film 26 between the second guideroller pair 104 and the first conveying roller pair 56 of the filmcarrier 46 can be suppressed, and the tension of the photographic film26 can be made substantially uniform. Thus, variations in the readingspeed at the reading position R due to variations in the tension of thephotographic film 26 can be effectively suppressed.

In the present embodiment, synchronously with the turning on of the loopsensor 112 after formation of the loop portion 108, the feed motor 94 isstopped for a predetermined period of time (=T₃), then the feed motor 94is driven until the loop sensor 112 is turned on. In this way, the loopportion 108 is maintained. However, the inclination of the loopdetecting lever 110 from the non-detecting position may be continuouslyor discretely detected, and control may be carried out such that therotational speed of the feed motor 94 is adjusted in accordance with theinclination of the loop detecting lever 110 and the size of the loopportion 108 is maintained substantially constant.

In step 240, when it is judged that prescanning at the reading positionR has been completed, the rotation of the conveying motor 61, which isrotating in the forward rotating direction, is reversed, and rotation ofthe discharge motor 140 of the film receiving section 118 is started.Due to the reverse rotation of the conveying motor 61, the conveyingdirection of the photographic film 26 is also reversed, and conveying ofthe photographic film 26 along the reading conveying path 52 from thereading position R toward the film supply opening 53 is started. At thistime, the conveying speed (reading speed) of the photographic film 26 isset on the basis of the prescanning data, and the reading conditions forthe photographic film 26 are set at the line CCD scanner 16 on the basisof the prescanning data. In this way, the line CCD scanner 16 carriesout fine scanning in which the images of the photographic film 26passing through the reading position R are read at a high resolution inaccordance with these reading conditions.

When the trailing end (the end portion at the side of the final frame)of the photographic film 26, which is being conveyed by the conveyingroller pairs 56, 58, 60 at the time of fine scanning, is discharged fromthe reading conveying path 52, the trailing end of the photographic film26 passes through the connection opening 121 and enters into theconveying merging section 122. The photographic film 26 is guided by thegate lever 128 which is held at the first guide position (see FIG. 4),and enters into the film feedout path 120. At this time, the drivenroller 136 of the discharge roller pair 138 of the film receivingsection 118 is held at the open nip position (see FIG. 4) by theactuator 142, such that the nip portion of the discharge roller pair 138is open. Accordingly, the photographic film 26 which is being dischargedfrom the film feed-out path 120 passes between the driven roller 136 andthe driving roller 134, and enters into the film receiving section 118.At this time, the driving roller 134 contacts the reverse surface of thephotographic film 26, which is being conveyed by the conveying forcefrom the conveying roller pair 56 of the film carrier 46, and guides thetrailing end portion of the photographic film 26 onto the film holder144.

In steps 244 through 246, after fine scanning of all of the images ofthe photographic film 26 has been completed, a determination is made asto whether the leading end of the photographic film 26 has been detectedby the film sensor 68 in the film carrier 46. In step 246, when theleading end of the photographic film 26 has been detected, in step 248,a time T₄, which is required from the time the leading end of thephotographic film 26 is detected to the time that the leading end of thephotographic film 26 separates from the nip portion of the conveyingroller pair 56, is computed on the basis of the prescanning data. Whenthe time T₄ has elapsed from the time that the leading end of thephotographic film 26 is detected, the driven roller 136 of the dischargeroller pair 138 is moved to the closed nip position by the actuator 142.In this way, substantially simultaneously with the leading end of thephotographic film 26 separating from the nip portion of the conveyingroller pair 56, the photographic film 26 is nipped by the nip portion ofthe discharge roller pair 138, and begins to be conveyed by thedischarge roller pair 138 of the film receiving section 118 so as to bedischarged from the film feed-out path 120 into the film receivingsection 118. At this time, the discharge motor 140 rotates the drivingroller 126 at high speed such that the film conveying speed by thedischarge roller pair 138 is sufficiently faster than the film conveyingspeed by the conveying roller pair 56 at the time of fine scanning. Inthis way, after fine scanning is completed, the time until thephotographic film 26 can be supplied into the reading conveying path 52by the film supplying section 71 can be shortened.

In step 250, a determination is made as to whether the leading end ofthe photographic film 26 has been detected by the film sensor 150 of thefilm receiving section 118. When the leading end of the photographicfilm 26 is detected, the routine moves on to step 252 where, when apredetermined standby time T₅ has elapsed from the detection of theleading end of the photographic film 26, the actuator 142 is operatedsuch that the driven roller 136 of the discharge roller pair 138 ismoved to the open nip position. Simultaneously, the actuator 148 isoperated to move the presser member 146 from the standby position to thepressing position, and after movement is completed, returns the pressermember 146 to the standby position. Here, the standby time T₅ is set soas to be slightly shorter than the conveying time needed for the leadingend of the photographic film 26 to be conveyed from the position ofdetection by the film sensor 150 to the nip portion of the dischargeroller pair 138.

When the actuators 142, 148 are respectively operated at the filmreceiving section 118 at the aforementioned time, the dischargeconveying roller pair 138 releases the photographic film 26 from the nipportion substantially simultaneously with the operation of the actuator142. On the other hand, the presser member 146 contacts the photographicfilm 26 at an intermediate position between the standby position and thepressing position. Thus, after the actuator 148 is operated, a fixeddelay time (0.2 to 0.3 sec in the present embodiment) is required untilthe presser member 146 contacts the photographic film 26. Thus, movementof the photographic film 26, which is released from the discharge rollerpair 138, in the feed-out direction due to inertia and gravity isinterrupted until the aforementioned delay time has elapsed. At thepoint in time when this delay time has elapsed, the leading end of thephotographic film 26 moves slightly downstream of the region at whichthe nip portion of the driving roller 134 and the driven roller 136 islocated.

At the point in time when the delay time has elapsed, the presser member146 abuts the photographic film 26 and moves integrally with thephotographic film 26 to the pressing position. In this way, a vicinityof the leading end of the photographic film 26 is inserted into theholding hardware 160 of the film holder 144, and is anchored by theextremely small projections of the anchor guides 162 so as to not falldown from the film holder 144. The photographic film 26 is inserted intothe film holder 144 such that the leading end thereof substantiallycoincides with the leading ends of the photographic films 26 which havealready been inserted into the film holder 144. The trailing end side ofthe photographic film 26 which is hanging down from the film receivingsection 118 is inserted into the film feed-out container 156 (seeFIG. 1) disposed below the AFL unit 70.

In step 254, on the basis of the detection signal from the film sensor95 of the film supplying section 71, the presence or absence of the filmbundle 72 (the photographic films 26) at the film holder 82 is judged.In a case in which the film bundle 72 is at the film holder 82, theroutine returns to step 210, and conveying of the next photographic film26 from the film holder 82 is started. If there is no film bundle 72 inthe film holder 82, it is judged that reading of all of the photographicfilms 26 set in the film holder 82 has been completed, and the imageinput device 12 is controlled to be set in a standby state.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, after thetrailing end of the one photographic film 26, which has been fed outfrom the film holder 82 into the film supply path 96, is fed out to thereading conveying path 52, it is possible to supply the nextphotographic film 26 from the film holder 82 into the film supply path96. Thus, after reading of a preceding photographic film 26 iscompleted, the time to convey the second and subsequent photographicfilms 26 to the reading position R is shortened. Therefore, for thesecond and subsequent photographic films 26, the trailing end of thephotographic film 26, which has been fed out from the film holder 82into the film supply path 96, is fed into the reading conveying path 52,and simultaneously, the next photographic film 26 can be fed out fromthe film holder 82 into the film supply path 96, and this photographicfilm 26 can be conveyed until the leading end thereof reaches the secondfilm sensor 132.

In the above-described image input device 12 of the present embodiment,at the image reading time when the photographic film 26 is conveyed bythe conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 of the film carrier 46 and theimage of the photographic film 26 is read by the line CCD scanner 16,the actuator 142 holds the driven roller 136 at the open nip position,and the discharge roller pair 138 is set in the withdrawn state where itis withdrawn from the photographic film 26 which has been conveyed intothe film receiving section 118 by the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60of the film carrier 46. In this way, at the time of image reading of thephotographic film 26 by the line CCD scanner 16, external forces, suchas resistance to conveying, impact force, tensile force, and the like,which could change the conveying speed of the photographic film 26 bythe conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60, is not applied to thephotographic film 26 from the discharge roller pair 138. Thus, theconveying speed of the photographic film 26 at the reading position Rcan be prevented from being changed due to force from the dischargeroller pair 138. As a result, a deterioration in the accuracy of readingthe image of the photographic film 26 by the line CCD scanner 16 due tofluctuations in the conveying speed can be prevented. Thus, adeterioration in image quality of the image reproduced by the imageinformation from the line CCD scanner 16 can be prevented.

Further, in the image input device 12, after image reading of thephotographic film 26 by the line CCD scanner 16 is completed,synchronously with the leading end of the photographic film 26separating from the nip portion of the conveying roller pair 56 of thefilm carrier 46, the driven roller 136 is moved to the closed nipposition by the actuator 142, and the discharge roller pair 138 is setin a conveying state in which conveying of the photographic film 26 ispossible. In this way, the time for discharging the photographic film 26from the film feed-out path 120 into the film receiving section 118 canbe shortened. Thus, even if the film conveying speed by the dischargeroller pair 138 is sufficiently faster than the film conveying speed bythe conveying roller pair 56 at the time of fine scanning, a hightension which could damage the photographic film 26 is not generated atthe portion of the photographic film 26 between the conveying rollerpair 56 and the discharge roller pair 138, and the photographic film 26can be discharged into the film receiving section 118 from the dischargeroller pair 138 at a high speed.

Even in a case in which the driven roller 136 is moved to the closed nipposition before the leading end of the photographic film 26 separatesfrom the nip portion of the conveying roller pair 56, before the leadingend of the photographic film 26 separates from the nip portion of theconveying roller pair 56, the rotational speed of the discharge motor140 is controlled such that the film conveying speed by the dischargeroller pair 138 is substantially equal to the film conveying speed bythe conveying roller pair 56 at the time of fine scanning. After theleading end of the photographic film 26 separates from the nip portionof the conveying roller pair 56, even if the film conveying speed by thedischarge roller pair 138 is fast, the photographic film 26 can bedischarged into the film receiving section 118 by the discharge rollerpair 138 at a high speed without a strong tension which could damage thephotographic film 26 being generated.

In the present embodiment, the discharge roller pair 138, which isformed from the pair of rollers 134, 136, is provided in the filmreceiving section 118 in order to discharge the photographic film 26 tothe film receiving section 118. However, a roller pair does notnecessarily have to be used in order to discharge the photographic film26. For example, as the discharge conveying mechanism may be provided abelt mechanism which is supported so as to be able to approach and moveaway from the photographic film 26, or a mechanism which has a nipportion which can nip and release a side end portion of the photographicfilm 26 and which can move this nip portion in a film dischargingdirection, or the like. Moreover, it is not absolutely necessary todischarge the photographic film 26 to the film receiving section 118 byusing the single discharge roller pair 138. A plurality of dischargeroller pairs may be provided along the film feed-out path 120, and therespective nip portions thereof can be opened and closed.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, the photographicfilm 26 discharged into the film receiving section 118 is inserted intothe film holder 144 by the presser member 146, and the leading endportion of the photographic film 26 is held by the film holder 144. Inthis way, the plural photographic films 26 discharged into the filmreceiving section 118 can be made to hang down into the film dischargecontainer 156 from the film receiving section 118 in a state in whichthe leading ends of the photographic films 26 are substantially aligned.Thus, the plural photographic films 26 which have been subjected toimage reading can be made into a film bundle in which the photographicfilms 26 are stacked in the order of image reading, and this film bundlecan be easily removed from the film holder 144.

Further, in the image input device 12, the film supplying section 71, inwhich the photographic films 26 before image reading are set, and thefilm receiving section 118, which receives the photographic films 26after image reading, are both disposed in the AFL unit 70. Thus, ascompared with a conventional device in which the film supplying sectionand the film receiving section are disposed on opposite sides of thereading conveying path, the dimension along the transverse direction ofthe device, which is substantially parallel to the film conveyingdirection by the reading conveying path 52, can be shortened. Thus, lessfloor space is required for the image input device 12.

Hereinafter, an image input device relating to a second embodiment ofthe present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.Portions which are basically the same as those of the first embodimentare denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment,and description thereof is omitted.

Structure of the Embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, 5 through 8, and 12, the secondembodiment is structured basically similar to the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the system structure of the imageinput device 12. The image input device 12 is provided with a controlcircuit 170 for controlling the entire device. Further, a data bus 174,which connects the line CCD scanner 16, the image processing section 18,a step motor driver 174, a DC driver 176, and a sensor interface 178 tothe control circuit 170, is provided at the image input device 12. Here,upon receipt of control signals from the control circuit 170, the stepmotor driver 174 controls the driving of the conveying motor 61 of thefilm carrier 46, and the DC driver 176 controls the driving of the feedmotor 94 and the actuator 93 of the film supplying section 71.

The sensor interface 178 transfers, via the data bus 172 and to thecontrol circuit 170, the detection signals from the film sensors 66 inthe film carrier 46, 68 in the film carrier 46 (FIG. 12) of the filmcarrier 46, the cover sensor 81 of the film supplying section 71, theholder sensor 91, the film sensors 95, 130, 132, and the loop sensor112.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, when the AFLunit 70 is not used, as shown in FIG. 7, the AFL unit 70 is slid to therear, and the film supply path 96 and the film feed-out path 120 are cutoff from the reading conveying path 52 of the film carrier 46. In thisway, by sliding the AFL unit 70 toward the rear, the photographic film26 can be directly inserted from the film supply opening 53 (see FIG.12) into the reading conveying path 52. Further, in this state in whichthe AFL unit 70 is slid to the rear, the photographic film 26, which isdischarged from the reading conveying path 52 after fine scanning iscompleted, drops down into and is accommodated in a film feed-outcontainer 158 fixed to the outer side surface of the image input device12.

Operation of the Present Embodiment

Next, operation of the image input device 12 relating to the embodimentof the present invention will be described on the basis of theflowcharts of FIGS. 14 through 16. The film bundle 72, which is formedfrom a plurality of the photographic films 26 which have been developed,is already set in the film holder 82 of the film supplying section 17.Further, the series of operations shown in FIGS. 14 through 16 iscontrolled by the control circuit 170 (see FIG. 13) of the image inputdevice 12.

In FIG. 14, the steps from the start until step 216 are the same as thesteps from the start to step 216 in the first embodiment. Therefore,description thereof is omitted.

In step 318, a determination is made as to whether the leading end ofthe photographic film 26 has been detected by the second film sensor132, which is set directly before the conveying merging section 122,within a predetermined threshold time T₂. If the leading end of thephotographic film 26 has not been detected by the second film sensor 132within the threshold time T₂, the routine moves on to step 321 where itis displayed that the device is in an error state. Further, when theleading end of the photographic film 26 is detected by the second filmsensor 132 within the threshold time T₂, the routine proceeds to step320, and the feed motor 94 is stopped.

In step 322, a determination is made as to whether image reading(prescanning and fine scanning) of the preceding (Nth) photographic film26 is currently being carried out, or if image reading has beencompleted and discharge of the Nth photographic film 26 from the readingconveying path 52 has been completed. If it is determined in step 322that image reading of the (Nth) photographic film 26 has been completed,the routine moves to step 324 where the driving of the feed motor 94 isstarted and conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film 26 is restarted.

In step 326, a determination is made as to whether, after the leadingend of the photographic film 26 has been detected by the first sensor130, the leading end of the photographic film 26 is detected by thefirst film sensor 66 of the film carrier 46 within a predeterminedthreshold time T₃. If the leading end of the photographic film 26 hasnot been detected by the first film sensor 66 in the film carrier 46within the threshold time T₃, the routine moves on to step 328 where itis displayed that the device is in an error state. When the leading endof the photographic film 26 is detected by the first film sensor 66 inthe film carrier 46 within the threshold time T₃, the routine proceedsto step 330 where driving of the conveying motor 61 of the film carrier46 is started. At this time, the control circuit 170 controls theconveying motor 61 to rotate in the forward rotation direction at aspeed corresponding to the prescanning speed of the photographic film26. In this way, the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 of the filmcarrier 46 begin to rotate at the same speed in the direction (forwardrotation direction) of conveying the photographic film 26 from the filmsupply opening 53 toward the film wind-up section 64.

Even after the start of rotation of the conveying roller pairs 56, 58,60, the photographic film 26 is conveyed in the reading conveying path52 by the conveying force from the film supplying section 71, until theleading end portion of the photographic film 26 is inserted into the nipportion of the first conveying roller pair 56. In this way, the leadingend side of the photographic film 26 begins to be conveyed by the firstconveying roller pair 56 of the film carrier 46. Thereafter, when theleading end of the photographic film 26 is detected by the second filmsensor 68 in the film carrier 46 disposed between the conveying rollerpairs 56, 58, synchronously therewith, the control circuit 170 startsdriving of the line CCD scanner 16 (steps 332 through 334).

Thereafter, at the film carrier 46, the leading end of the photographicfilm 26 is successively inserted into the nip portions of the secondconveying roller pair 58 and the third conveying roller pair 60, andconveying of the photographic film 26 along the reading conveying path52 by the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 is carried out. At thistime, prescanning is carried out on the photographic film 26 by the lineCCD scanner 16 at the reading position R. The images recorded on thephotographic film 26 are read at a low resolution, and prescanning datais outputted from the line CCD. On the basis of this prescanning data,the control circuit 170 recognizes characteristic amounts such as thenumber of and positions of image frames on the photographic film 26, theaspect ratio of each image, the density of each image and the like. Theportion of the photographic film 26 for which prescanning has beencompleted is fed into the film wind-up section 64 from the readingconveying path 52 by the third conveying roller pair 60, and is wound upin roll form.

The film conveying speed by the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 at thetime of the above-described prescanning is set to be slower than thefilm conveying speed by the conveying roller pairs 98, 100 in the filmsupplying section 71. Accordingly, when the leading end of thephotographic film 26, whose trailing end side is conveyed by the secondconveying roller pair 100 of the film supplying section 71, is insertedinto the nip portion of the first conveying roller pair 56 of the filmcarrier 46, the loop portion 108 (see FIG. 3), which bends upwardly, isformed in the photographic film 26 at the portion thereof between thesecond guide roller pair 104 and the second conveying roller pair 100 inthe film supplying section 71. This loop portion 108 increases inaccordance with the increase in the conveying time by both the conveyingroller pair 100 of the film supplying section 71 and the conveyingroller pair 56 of the film carrier 46. At this time, when the loopportion 108 becomes a predetermined size and the loop detecting lever110 is swung to the detection position shown in FIG. 3, the loop sensor112 outputs a loop detection signal.

In steps 336 through 344, when it is judged that the loop detectionsignal has been outputted from the loop sensor 112, driving of the feedmotor 94 is restarted after the feed motor 94 of the film supplyingsection 71 is stopped for a preset stopping time T₄. This stopping timeT₄ is set, on the basis of the conveying speed of the conveying rollerpair 56 of the film carrier 46, to be a length of time during which theloop portion 108 does not disappear during stopping of the feed motor94. The control circuit 170 repeats the above-described control ofintermittently driving the feed motor 94, until the trailing end of thephotographic film 26 is detected by the second film sensor 132 which isdisposed downstream of the second guide roller pair 104. In step 344,when the control circuit 170 judges that the trailing end of thephotographic film 26 has been detected by the second film sensor 132,the routine moves on to step 346 where the feed motor 94 is stopped.

At the time the above-described loop portion 108 is formed, when thetension of the photographic film 26 at the downstream side of the secondguide roller pair 104, which is positioned downstream of the loopsection 108, increases, the second guide roller pair 104 feeds a portionof the loop portion 108 toward the downstream side so as to decrease thetension of the photographic film 26. As a result, the increase intension of the photographic film 26 between the second guide roller pair104 and the first conveying roller pair 56 of the film carrier 46 can besuppressed, and the tension of the photographic film 26 can be madesubstantially uniform. Thus, variations in the reading speed at thereading position R due to variations in the tension of the photographicfilm 26 can be effectively suppressed.

In the present embodiment, synchronously with the turning on of the loopsensor 112 after formation of the loop portion 108, the feed motor 94 isdriven, after being stopped for a predetermined period of time (=T₄),until the loop sensor 112 is turned on. In this way, the loop portion108 is maintained. However, the inclination of the loop detecting lever110 from the non-detecting position may be continuously or discretelydetected, and control may be carried out such that the rotational speedof the feed motor 94 is adjusted in accordance with the inclination ofthe loop detecting lever 110 and the size of the loop portion 108 ismaintained substantially constant.

In step 348, when it is judged that prescanning at the reading positionAR has been completed, the rotation of the conveying motor 61, which isrotating in the forward rotating direction, is reversed, and rotation ofthe discharge motor 140 of the film receiving section 118 is started(step 350). Due to the reverse rotation of the conveying motor 61, theconveying direction of the photographic film 26 is also reversed, andconveying of the photographic film 26 along the reading conveying path52 from the reading position R toward the film supply opening 53 isstarted. At this time, the conveying speed (reading speed) of thephotographic film 26 is set on the basis of the prescanning data, andthe reading conditions for the photographic film 26 are set at the lineCCD scanner 16 on the basis of the prescanning data. In this way, theline CCD scanner 16 carries out fine scanning in which the images of thephotographic film 26 passing through the reading position R are read ata high resolution in accordance with these reading conditions.

When the trailing end (the end portion at the side of the final frame)of the photographic film 26, which is being conveyed by the conveyingroller pairs 56, 58, 60 at the time of fine scanning, is discharged fromthe reading conveying path 52, the trailing end of the photographic film26 passes through the connection opening 121 and enters into theconveying merging section 122. The photographic film 26 is guided by thegate lever 128 which is held at the first guide position (see FIG. 12),and enters into the film feed-out path 120. At this time, the drivenroller 136 of the discharge roller pair 138 of the film receivingsection 118 is held at the open nip position (see FIG. 12) by theactuator 142, such that the nip portion of the discharge roller pair 138is open. Accordingly, the photographic film 26 which is being dischargedfrom the film feed-out path 120 passes between the driven roller 136 andthe driving roller 134, and enters into the film receiving section 118.At this time, the driving roller 134 contacts the reverse surface of thephotographic film 26, which is being conveyed by the conveying forcefrom the conveying roller pair 56 of the film carrier 46, and guides thetrailing end portion of the photographic film 26 onto the film holder144.

In steps 352 through 354, after fine scanning of all of the images ofthe photographic film 26 has been completed, a determination is made asto whether the leading end of the photographic film 26 has been detectedby the film sensor 68 in the film carrier 46. In step 356, when theleading end of the photographic film 26 has been detected in step 354, atime T₅, which is required from the time the leading end of thephotographic film 26 is detected to the time that the leading end of thephotographic film 26 separates from the nip portion of the conveyingroller pair 56, is computed on the basis of the prescanning data. Whenthe time T₅ has elapsed from the time that the leading end of thephotographic film 26 is detected, the driven roller 136 of the dischargeroller pair 138 is moved to the closed nip position by the actuator 142.In this way, substantially simultaneously with the leading end of thephotographic film 26 separating from the nip portion of the conveyingroller pair 56, the photographic film 26 is nipped by the nip portion ofthe discharge roller pair 138, and begins to be conveyed by thedischarge roller pair 138 of the film receiving section 118 so as to bedischarged from the film feed-out path 120 into the film receivingsection 118. At this time, the discharge motor 140 rotates the drivingroller 126 at high speed such that the film conveying speed by thedischarge roller pair 138 is sufficiently faster than the film conveyingspeed by the conveying roller pair 56 at the time of fine scanning. Inthis way, after fine scanning is completed, the time until thephotographic film 26 can be supplied into the reading conveying path 52by the film supplying section 71 can be shortened.

In step 358, a determination is made as to whether the leading end ofthe photographic film 26 has been detected by the film sensor 150 of thefilm receiving section 118. When the leading end of the photographicfilm 26 is detected, the routine moves on to step 360 where, when apredetermined standby time T₆ has elapsed from the detection of theleading end of the photographic film 26, the actuator 142 is operatedsuch that the driven roller 136 of the discharge roller pair 138 ismoved to the open nip position. Simultaneously, the actuator 148 isoperated to move the presser member 146 from the standby position to thepressing position, and after movement is completed, returns the pressermember 146 to the standby position. Here, the standby time T₆ is set soas to be slightly shorter than the conveying time needed for the leadingend of the photographic film 26 to be conveyed from the position ofdetection by the film sensor 150 to the nip portion of the dischargeroller pair 138.

When the actuators 142, 148 are respectively operated at the filmreceiving section 118 at the aforementioned time, the dischargeconveying roller pair 138 releases the photographic film 26 from the nipportion substantially simultaneously with the operation of the actuator142. On the other hand, the presser member 146 contacts the photographicfilm 26 at an intermediate position between the standby position and thepressing position. Thus, after the actuator 148 is operated, a fixeddelay time (0.2 to 0.3 sec in the present embodiment) is required untilthe presser member 146 contacts the photographic film 26. Thus, movementof the photographic film 26, which is released from the discharge rollerpair 138, in the feed-out direction due to inertia and gravity isinterrupted until the aforementioned delay time has elapsed. At thepoint in time when this delay time has elapsed, the leading end of thephotographic film 26 moves slightly downstream of the region at whichthe nip portion of the driving roller 134 and the driven roller 136 islocated.

At the point in time when the delay time has elapsed, the presser member146 abuts the photographic film 26 and moves integrally with thephotographic film 26 to the pressing position. In this way, a vicinityof the leading end of the photographic film 26 is inserted into theholding hardware 160 of the film holder 144, and is anchored by theextremely small projections of the anchor guides 162 so as to not falldown from the film holder 144. The photographic film 26 is inserted intothe film holder 144 such that the leading end thereof substantiallycoincides with the leading ends of the photographic films 26 which havealready been inserted into the film holder 144. The trailing end side ofthe photographic film 26 which is hanging down from the film receivingsection 118 is inserted into the film feed-out container 156 (seeFIG. 1) disposed below the AFL unit 70.

In step 362, the control circuit 170 judges whether there is, at eitherof the film supplying section 71 and the film carrier 46, a photographicfilm 26 for which fine scanning has not been carried out. Here, if thereis a photographic film 26 for which fine scanning has not been carriedout, the routine returns to step 244. Namely, in this case, when finescanning of the preceding Nth photographic film 26 is carried out, thesubsequent (N+1)st photographic film 26 stands-by at the position of thesecond film sensor 132 of the film supply path 96. When it is confirmedby the film sensor 150 that the Nth photographic film 26 has beendischarged into the film feed-out path 120 from the conveying mergingsection 122, conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film 26 into thereading conveying path 52 via the conveying merging section 122 isstarted. Further, if there is no photographic film 26 for which finescanning has not been carried out, it is judged that reading of all ofthe photographic films 26 set in the film holder 82 has been completed,and the image input device 12 is controlled to be set in a standbystate.

In accordance with the image input device 12 of the above-describedpresent embodiment, after the Nth photographic film 26, which is the Nthphotographic film 26 for which image reading is carried out, begins tobe conveyed by the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 of the film carrier46, synchronously with the passage of the trailing end of the Nthphotographic film 26 through the conveying merging section 122, thecontrol circuit 170 starts the conveying from the film holder 82 of the(N+1)st photographic film 26, which is the (N+1)st photographic film 26for which image reading is carried out, and stops the (N+1)stphotographic film 26 at the position where the leading end thereof isdetected by the second film sensor 132. When the Nth photographic film26 has been discharged from the conveying merging section 22 into thefilm feed-out path 120, due to the restarting of the conveying of the(N+1)st photographic film 26, it is possible to convey the (N+1)stphotographic film 26 up to the position directly before the conveyingmerging section 122 and to stop the (N+1)st photographic film 26 at thisposition until conveying thereof to the reading conveying path 52 ispossible, while the images of the Nth photographic film 26 are beingread by the line CCD scanner 16 as the Nth photographic film 26 is beingconveyed along the reading conveying path 52 by the conveying rollerpairs 56, 58, 60. Thus, as compared with conventional control in whichconveying of the (N+1)st photographic film 26 from the film holder 82 isstarted after the Nth photographic film 26 has been discharged from thereading conveying path 52, the period of time from the time when the Nthphotographic film 26 is discharged from the reading conveying path 52 tothe time when the next (N+1)st photographic film 26 is conveyed from thefilm supply path 96 into the reading conveying path 52, can beshortened.

As a result, the time for reading the plurality of photographic films 26when successively reading, by the line CCD scanner 16, the photographicfilms 26 set in the film holder 82, can be shortened.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, after conveyingof the (N+1)st photographic film 26 from the film holder 82 is started,the leading end of the (N+1) st photographic film 26 is stopped at theposition of the second film sensor 132 until the Nth photographic film26 is discharged into the film feed-out path 120 from the conveyingmerging section 120. However, control can be carried out such that,without stopping the (N+1)st photographic film 26 at a predeterminedposition within the film supply path 96, the conveying speed of the(N+1)st photographic film 26 by the conveying roller pairs 98, 100 isadjusted such that the (N+1)st photographic film 26 is supplied to thereading conveying path 52 at the time when the Nth photographic film 26is discharged from the conveying merging section 122 into the filmfeed-out path 120.

Further, in the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, at thetime the photographic film 26 is conveyed by the conveying roller pairs98, 100 of the film supplying section 71, the photographic film 26enters into the reading conveying path 52 from the film supply path 96,and the trailing end of the photographic film 26 passes through theconveying merging section 122 at the film supply path 96. Thereafter,the gate lever 128 switches the conveying path of the photographic film26 such that the photographic film 26 enters into the film feed-out path120 from the reading conveying path 52. In this way, when the leadingend of the photographic film 26 being conveyed along the film supplypath 96 reaches the reading conveying path 52, due to the gate lever128, the photographic film 26 enters into the reading conveying path 52from the film supply path 96, and is conveyed along the readingconveying path 52 so as to pass through the reading position R. Further,after the trailing end of the photographic film 26 has passed theconveying merging section 122, when the conveying direction of thephotographic film 26 is reversed and the trailing end of thephotographic film 26 reaches the conveying merging section 122, thephotographic film 26 enters into the film feed-out path 120 and isfed-out to the film receiving section 118 along the film feed-out path120.

At this time, at the image input device 12, at the time the photographicfilm 26 is conveyed from the conveying merging section 122 toward thereading position R, prescanning of the photographic film 26 is carriedout. At the time the photographic film 26 is conveyed from the readingposition R toward the conveying merging section 122, fine scanning ofthe photographic film 26 is carried out. Accordingly, even if thephotographic film 26 is elongated, the trailing end side of thephotographic film 26 can be fed-out in the film receiving section 118along the film feed-out path 120 while fine scanning of the photographicfilm 26 is being carried out. Thus, after fine scanning is completed,immediately after the leading end of the photographic film 26 passesthrough the conveying merging section 122, the next photographic film 26can be supplied to the reading conveying path by the film supplyingsection 71.

Accordingly, as compared with a conventional device in which, after finescanning of the photographic film 26 has been completed, the conveyingdirection of the photographic film 26 is reversed and the photographicfilm 26 is conveyed to the film receiving section which is disposed atthe side opposite the film supplying section, the time until the nextphotographic film 26 can be supplied to the reading conveying path 52after fine scanning is completed (i.e., the feed-out wait time) can beshortened. Further, even if the photographic film 26 is elongate, thefeed-out wait time does not increase. For these reasons as well, thereading time at the time of successively reading images of a pluralityof photographic films 26 by the line CCD scanner 16 can be shortened.

Further, in the image input device 12, the film supplying section 71, inwhich the photographic films 26 before image reading are set, and thefilm receiving section 118, which receives the photographic films 26after image reading, are both disposed in the AFL unit 70. Thus, ascompared with a conventional device in which the film supplying sectionand the film receiving section are disposed at opposite sides of thereading conveying path, the dimension along the transverse direction ofthe device, which is substantially parallel to the film conveyingdirection by the reading conveying path 52, can be shortened. Thus, lessfloor space is required for the image input device 12.

Hereinafter, an image input device relating to a third embodiment of thepresent invention will be described with reference to the drawings.Portions which are basically the same as those of the first embodimentare denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment,and description thereof is omitted.

Structure of the Embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, 5 through 8, and 12, the third embodimentis structured basically similarly to the first and the secondembodiments.

In FIG. 12, at the time the discharge motor 140 is driven, the dischargemotor 140 rotates the driving roller 134 in a predetermined dischargingdirection. Further, the actuator 142 moves the driven roller 136 up anddown in an opening and closing direction which is substantiallyorthogonal to the film discharging direction so as to open and close thenip portion with the driving roller 134.

As shown in FIG. 12, at the film receiving section 118, the axial centerof the driven roller 136 is offset, toward the downstream side and by apredetermined distance along the film feed-out direction, from the axialcenter of the driving roller 134. In this way, the nip portion of thedriven roller 136 and the driving roller 134 is formed at the filmfeed-out direction downstream side of the axial center of the drivingroller 134.

The film holder 144 is disposed in the film receiving section 118 at thedownstream side of the discharge roller pair 138 along the film feed-outdirection, as shown in FIG. 12. The film holder 144 basically has thesame structure as that of the film holder 82 (see FIG. 6) of the filmsupplying section 71. Specifically, the film holder 144 is provided witha holding hardware and anchor guide members which are adhered to theside plate portions of the holding hardware 84. The holding hardware ofthe film holder 144 is fixed to the bottom surface of the film receivingsection 118 such that the opening portion faces upward. Conversely tothe holding hardware 84 of the film holder 82, the holding hardware ofthe film holder 144 becomes more wide in a taper form from the proximalend portion toward the opening portion thereof.

As shown in FIG. 12, the presser member 146, which is elongated andplate-shaped, and the actuator 148, which is connected to the pressermember 146, are provided above the film holder 144. The presser member146 is supported such that the longitudinal direction thereof issubstantially parallel to the film feed-out direction of the dischargeroller pair 138. The actuator 148 moves the presser member 146, along adirection substantially orthogonal to the film feed-out direction, toeither a predetermined pressing position or a predetermined standbyposition. Here, when the presser member 146 moves to the pressingposition, the presser member 146 is inserted into the film holder 144 asshown by the imaginary line in FIG. 12. Further, when the presser member146 is moved to the standby position, the presser member 146 isseparated from the film holder 144 as shown by the solid line in FIG.12.

As shown in FIG. 12, at the film receiving section 118, the film sensor150 is disposed slightly upstream of the film discharge opening of thefilm feed-out path 120. The film sensor 150 detects the photographicfilm 26 within the film feed-out path 120, and outputs a detectionsignal.

Operation of the Present Embodiment

Next, operation of the image input device 12 relating to the embodimentof the present invention will be described on the basis of theflowcharts of FIGS. 17 through 19. The film bundle 72, which is formedfrom a plurality of the photographic films 26 which have been developed,is already set in the film holder 82 of the film supplying section 71.Further, the series of operations shown in FIGS. 17 through 19 iscontrolled by a control section (not shown) of the image input device12.

The steps from the start shown in FIG. 17 until step 242 of FIG. 18 arethe same as the steps from the start shown in FIG. 9 to step 242 of FIG.10. Therefore, description thereof is omitted.

At the time of fine scanning, when the trailing end of the photographicfilm 26 conveyed by the conveying roller pairs 56, 58, 60 is dischargedfrom the reading conveying path 52, the trailing end of the photographicfilm 26 passes through the connection opening 121 and enters into theconveying merging section 122. This photographic film 26 is guided bythe guide lever 128 which is held at the first guide position (see FIG.12), and enters into the film feed-out path 120. At this time, the nipportion of the driven roller 136 and the driver roller 134 forming thedischarge roller pair 138 of the film receiving section 118 is set openby the actuator 142. Accordingly, the photographic film 26 which isdischarged from the film feed-out path 120 passes between the drivenroller 136 and the driving roller 134, and enters into the filmreceiving section 118.

When it is judged in step 444 that fine scanning of all of the images ofthe photographic film 26 has been completed, the routine moves on tostep 446 where the nip portion of the discharge roller pair 138 of thefilm receiving section 118 is closed by the actuator 142. In this way,the photographic film 26 is nipped by the nip portion of the dischargeroller pair 138, and is conveyed by the discharge roller pair 138 so asto be discharged into the film receiving section 118 from the filmfeed-out path 120. Immediately after the nip portion of the dischargeroller pair 138 is closed, the leading end of the photographic film 26separates from the nip portion of the first conveying roller pair 56 ofthe film carrier 46.

In step 448, a determination is made as to whether the leading end ofthe photographic film 26 has been detected by the film sensor 150 of thefilm receiving section 118. When the leading end of the photographicfilm 26 is detected, the routine moves on to step 450 where, at the timethat the predetermined standby time T₄ has elapsed from the detection ofthe leading end of the photographic film 26, the actuator 142 isoperated such that the nip portion of the discharge roller pair 138 isopened, and simultaneously therewith, the actuator 148 is operated sothat the presser member 146 is returned to the standby position afterhaving been moved from the standby position to the pressing position.Here, the standby time T₄ is set to be slightly shorter than the timerequired for the leading end of the photographic film 26 to be conveyedfrom the film sensor 150 to the nip portion of the discharge roller pair138.

When the actuators 142, 148 in the film receiving section 118 arerespectively operated at the aforementioned time, the dischargeconveying roller pair 138 releases the photographic film 26 from the nipportion substantially simultaneously with the operation of the actuator142. On the other hand, the presser member 146 contacts the photographicfilm 26 at an intermediate position between the standby position and thepressing position. Thus, after the actuator 148 is operated, a fixeddelay time (0.2 to 0.3 sec in the present embodiment) is required untilthe presser member 146 contacts the photographic film 26. Thus, movementof the photographic film 26, which is released from the discharge rollerpair 138, in the feed-out direction due to inertia and gravity isinterrupted until the aforementioned delay time has elapsed. At thepoint in time when this delay time has elapsed, the leading end of thephotographic film 26 moves slightly downstream of the region at whichthe nip portion of the driving roller 134 and the driven roller 136 islocated. The presser member 146 abuts the trailing end portion of thephotographic film 26 which has moved to this position, and movesintegrally with the photographic film 26 to the pressing position. Inthis way, a vicinity of the leading end of the photographic film 26 isinserted into the film holder 144, and is held by the film holder 144 Atthis time, the trailing end side of the photographic film 26 which ishanging down from the film receiving section 118 is inserted into thefilm feed-out container 156 (see FIG. 1) disposed below the AFL unit 70.

In step 452, on the basis of the detection signal from the film sensor95 of the film supplying section 71, the presence or absence of the filmbundle 72 (the photographic films 26) at the film holder 82 is judged.In a case in which the film bundle 72 is at the film holder 82, theroutine returns to step 210, and conveying of the next photographic film26 from the film holder 82 is started. If there is no film bundle 72 inthe film holder 82, it is judged that reading of all of the photographicfilms 26 set in the film holder 82 has been completed, and the imageinput device 12 is controlled to be set in a standby state.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, after thetrailing end of the one photographic film 26, which has been fed outfrom the film holder 82 into the film supply path 96, is fed out to thereading conveying path 52, it is possible to supply the nextphotographic film 26 from the film holder 82 into the film supply path96. Thus, after reading of a preceding photographic film 26 iscompleted, the time to convey the second and subsequent photographicfilms 26 to the reading position R is shortened. Therefore, for thesecond and subsequent photographic films 26, the trailing end of thephotographic film 26, which has been fed out earier from the film holder82 into the film supply path 96, is fed into the reading conveying path52, and simultaneously, the next photographic film 26 can be fed outfrom the film holder 82 into the film supply path 96, and thisphotographic film 26 can be conveyed until the leading end thereofreaches the second film sensor 132.

In accordance with the above-described image input device 12 of thepresent embodiment, at the time the photographic film 26 is conveyed bythe conveying roller pairs 98, 100 of the film supplying section 71, thephotographic film 26 enters into the reading conveying path 52 from thefilm supply path 96, and the trailing end of the photographic film 26passes through the conveying merging section 122 at the film supply path96. Thereafter, the gate lever 128 switches the conveying path of thephotographic film 26 such that the photographic film 26 enters into thefilm feed-out path 120 from the reading conveying path 52. In this way,when the leading end of the photographic film 26 being conveyed alongthe film supply path 96 reaches the reading conveying path 52, due tothe gate lever 128, the photographic film 26 enters into the readingconveying path 52 from the film supply path 96, and is conveyed alongthe reading conveying path 52 so as to pass through the reading positionR. Further, after the trailing end of the photographic film 26 haspassed the conveying merging section 122, when the conveying directionof the photographic film 26 is reversed and the trailing end of thephotographic film 26 reaches the conveying merging section 122, thephotographic film 26 enters into the film feed-out path 120 and isfed-out to the film receiving section 118 along the film feed-out path120.

At this time, at the image input device 12, at the time the photographicfilm 26 is conveyed from the conveying merging section 122 toward thereading position R, prescanning of the photographic film 26 is carriedout. At the time the photographic film 26 is conveyed from the readingposition R toward the conveying merging section 122, fine scanning ofthe photographic film 26 is carried out. Accordingly, even if thephotographic film 26 is elongated, the trailing end side of thephotographic film 26 can be fed-out in the film receiving section 118along the film feed-out path 120 while fine scanning of the photographicfilm 26 is being carried out. Thus, after fine scanning is completed,immediately after the leading end of the photographic film 26 passesthrough the conveying merging section 122, the next photographic film 26can be supplied to the reading conveying path by the film supplyingsection 71.

As a result, as compared with a conventional device in which, after finescanning of the photographic film 26 has been completed, the conveyingdirection of the photographic film 26 is reversed and the photographicfilm 26 is conveyed to the film receiving section which is disposed atthe side opposite the film supplying section, the time until the nextphotographic film 26 can be supplied to the reading conveying path 52after fine scanning is completed (i.e., the feed-out wait time) can beshortened. Further, even if the photographic film 26 is elongate, thefeed-out wait time does not increase. Thus, the reading time at the timeof continuously reading images from a plurality of photographic films 26by the line CCD scanner 16 can be shortened.

Further, in the image input device 12, the film supplying section 71, inwhich the photographic films 26 before image reading are set, and thefilm receiving section 118, which receives the photographic films 26after image reading, are both disposed in the AFL unit 70. Thus, ascompared with a conventional device in which the film supplying sectionand the film receiving section are disposed at opposite sides of thereading conveying path, the dimension along the transverse direction ofthe device, which is substantially parallel to the film conveyingdirection by the reading conveying path 52, can be shortened. Thus, lessfloor space is required for the image input device 12.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, the gate lever128 provided at the conveying merging section 122 can swing between afirst guide position, at which the guide lever 128 guides thephotographic film 26 from the reading conveying path 52 to the filmfeed-out path 20, and a second guide position, at which the guide lever128 guides the photographic film 26 from the film supply path 96 to thereading conveying path 52. The gate lever 128 is urged toward the firstguide position by an urging member (not shown). In this way, the gatelever 128 is swung from the first guide position to the second guideposition due to the pressing force of the photographic film 26 which isconveyed by the conveying roller pairs 98, 100 of the film supplyingsection 71 and reaches the conveying merging section 122. After thetrailing end of the photographic film 26 has passed through theconveying merging section, the gate lever 128 automatically returns fromthe second guide position to the first guide position due to the urgingforce of the urging member. Thus, there is no need to provide, at theAFL unit 70, an actuator such as a motor, an electromagnetic solenoid,or the like, for switching the conveying path of the photographic film26 at the conveying merging section 122. The cost of the AFL unit 70 canbe reduced, and the number of parts can be prevented from increasing andthe structure can be prevented from becoming complex.

However, the gate lever 128 can swing between a position (the firstguide position), at which the film supply path 96 is closed and theentrance to the film feed-out path 120 is open, and a position (thesecond guide position) at which the film supply path 96 is open and theentry to the film feed-out path 120 is closed, and the gate lever 128can be moved to either of the first guide position and the second guideposition by the driving force from an actuator such as anelectromagnetic solenoid, a motor, or the like. In accordance with sucha structure, when the photographic film 26 is conveyed to the conveyingmerging section 122 from the upstream side of the film supply path 96,the gate lever 128 is held at the second guide position by the actuator.Further, when the photographic film 26 is conveyed into the conveyingmerging section 122 from the reading conveying path 52, the gate lever128 is held at the first guide position by the actuator. In this way,when the photographic film 26 is conveyed to either the readingconveying path 52 or the film feed-out path 120, the photographic film26 does not contact the gate lever 128, and therefore, the load appliedto the photographic film 26 due to contact with the gate lever 128 canbe reduced.

In the image input device 12 of the present embodiment, when the AFLunit 70 is not used, as shown in FIG. 7, the AFL unit 70 is slidbackward, and the film supply path 96 and the film feed-out path 120 aredisconnected from the reading conveying path 52 of the film carrier 46.In this way, by sliding the AFL unit 70 backward, the photographic film26 can be directly inserted into the reading conveying path 52 from thefilm supply path 53 (see FIG. 12). Further, in the state in which theAFL unit 70 is slid backward, after fine scanning has been completed,the photographic film 26 which is discharged from the reading conveyingpath 52 is accommodated in the film feed-out container 158 fixed to theouter side surface of the image input device 12.

As described above, in accordance with the photographic film conveyingdevice of the present invention, at the time of image reading at whichimages of a photographic film are read by an image reading means whilethe photographic film is conveyed by a reading conveying means, theapplication, from a discharge conveying means to the photographic film,of an external force which can change the conveying speed can beprevented.

Further, as described above, in accordance with the photographic filmconveying device of the present invention, even if the length of thefilm supply path is long, the time, from the time that a preceding Nthphotographic film is discharged from a reading conveying path to a timethat a subsequent (N+1)st photographic film is conveyed to the readingconveying path, can be prevented from becoming long.

Moreover, as described above, in accordance with the photographic filmconveying device of the present invention, even if a photographic filmwhich is set in a film supplying section is elongated, image reading ofa plurality of photographic films by an image reading means can becarried out efficiently, and the floor space required to set the devicecan be reduced.

What is claimed is:
 1. A photographic film conveying device which, whileconveying a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded,reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading section,the photographic film conveying device comprising: a film supplyingsection provided with a loading portion into which is loaded a filmbundle in which photographic films are stacked, the film supplyingsection conveying one photographic film from the film bundle loaded inthe loading portion to an image input section at which the image readingsection is provided; a film supply path for guiding to the image inputsection the photographic film which is conveyed by the film supplyingsection; a reading conveying path connected to the film supply path, andguiding the photographic film, which is conveyed to the image inputsection along the film supply path, to an image reading position atwhich images are read by the image reading section; a reading conveyingsection which conveys the photographic film along the reading conveyingpath such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passesthrough the image reading position; and a conveying controlling sectionwhich, after starting of conveying by the reading conveying section ofan Nth photographic film which is an Nth photographic film whose imagesare read, synchronously with a trailing end of the Nth photographic filmpassing through a connection section of the film supply path and thereading conveying path, starts conveying, from the loading portion andby the film supplying section, of an (N+1)st photographic film which isan (N+1)st photographic film whose images are read, and holds the(N+1)st photographic film in the film supply path until the Nthphotographic film is discharged.
 2. A photographic film conveying deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein a leading end detecting sensor is providedon the film supply path, and the leading end detecting sensor detects aleading end of the photographic film conveyed by the film supplyingsection, and outputs a detection signal, and, synchronously withoutputting of the detection signal from the leading end detectingsensor, the conveying controlling section stops conveying of the (N+1)stphotographic film by the film supplying section, and when the Nthphotographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path,restarts conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the filmsupplying section.
 3. A photographic film conveying device according toclaim 2, further comprising: a film receiving section which receives thephotographic film after image reading; a film feed-out path which mergeswith the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving sectionthe photographic film which has been discharged from the image inputsection through the reading conveying path; and a conveying switchingsection which switches a conveying path of the photographic film suchthat, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplyingsection, the photographic film enters into the reading conveying pathfrom the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographicfilm passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in thefilm supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-outpath from the reading conveying path.
 4. A photographic film conveyingdevice according to claim 1, further comprising: a film receivingsection which receives the photographic film after image reading; a filmfeed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides tothe film receiving section the photographic film which has beendischarged from the image input section through the reading conveyingpath; and a conveying switching section which switches a conveying pathof the photographic film such that, when the photographic film isconveyed by the film supplying section, the photographic film entersinto the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when atrailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging sectionwith the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographicfilm enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path.5. A photographic film conveying device which, while conveying astrip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads theimages of the photographic film by an image reading section, thephotographic film conveying device comprising: an auto film loaderincluding a film supplying section in which is loaded a film bundle inwhich photographic films before image reading are stacked, and whichconveys one photographic film from the film bundle into an image inputsection at which the image reading section is provided, and a filmreceiving section which receives photographic films after image reading;a film supply path for guiding to the image input section thephotographic film conveyed by the film supplying section; a readingconveying path which is connected to the film supply path and whichguides, to an image reading position at which images are read by theimage reading section, the photographic film which is conveyed throughthe film supply path to the image input section; a reading conveyingsection which conveys the photographic film along the reading conveyingpath such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passesthrough the image reading position; a film feed-out path which mergeswith the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving sectionthe photographic film which is discharged from the image input sectionthrough the reading conveying path; and a conveying switching sectionwhich switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, whenthe photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, aleading end of the photographic film enters into the reading conveyingpath from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of thephotographic film passes through a merging section with the filmfeed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters intothe film feed-out path from the reading conveying path.
 6. Aphotographic film conveying device according to claim 5, wherein theconveying switching section has a gate member which can move between afirst guide position, at which the gate member guides the photographicfilm from the reading conveying path to the film feed-out path, and asecond guide position, at which the gate member guides the photographicfilm from the film supply path to the reading conveying path, and thegate member is urged to the first guide position, and the gate membermoves from the first guide position to the second guide position due topushing force from a photographic film which has reached the mergingsection at the time the photographic film is being conveyed by the filmsupplying section, and after a trailing end of the photographic film haspassed through the merging section, the gate member returns to the firstguide position.
 7. A photographic film conveying device according toclaim 6, further comprising a loop forming section which, at the timewhen the photographic film is being conveyed by both the film supplyingsection and the reading conveying section, forms a loop portion, whichbends in a direction of thickness of the photographic film, in thephotographic film at the film supply path, and the loop forming sectioncan feed a portion of the loop portion out toward the reading conveyingpath.
 8. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 6,wherein a discharge conveying section, which conveys the photographicfilm, which has entered into the film feed-out path, such that thephotographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path, and a filmholding section, which can hold ones of end portions of a plurality ofphotographic films which have been successively discharged from the filmfeed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided in the filmreceiving section.
 9. A photographic film conveying device according toclaim 5, further comprising a loop forming section which, at the timewhen the photographic film is being conveyed by both the film supplyingsection and the reading conveying section, forms a loop portion, whichbends in a direction of thickness of the photographic film, in thephotographic film at the film supply path, and the loop forming sectioncan feed a portion of the loop portion out toward the reading conveyingpath.
 10. A photographic film conveying device according to claim 9,wherein a discharge conveying section, which conveys the photographicfilm, which has entered into the film feed-out path, such that thephotographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path, and a filmholding section, which can hold ones of end portions of a plurality ofphotographic films which have been successively discharged from the filmfeed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided in the filmreceiving section.
 11. A photographic film conveying device according toclaim 5, wherein a discharge conveying section, which conveys thephotographic film, which has entered into the film feed-out path, suchthat the photographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path,and a film holding section, which can hold ones of end portions of aplurality of photographic films which have been successively dischargedfrom the film feed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided inthe film receiving section.